# Sticky  dog body-language - and why it matters so much...



## leashedForLife

Dog Body Language Diagrams

Calming Signals Community

When to sniff and when not to - Behavior & Training Forum

My dog constantly fake yawns at me? - Yahoo! Answers

Kikopup on Calming Signals in dog communication - Behavior & Training Forum


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## leashedForLife

a rich source of links... 
Body Language in Dogs: how to read what your dog is saying, from Stacy's Wag'N'Train


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## CarolineH

Years ago, when I opened my mind and decided to get more educated in canine body language, my world opened up as well!  I wish I had learned it sooner and you know what? It is so simple to learn as well! It helped me train my own dogs as I learned to recognise stress instead of 'just assuming', it helped me teach people with theirs because I was able to show them what their dogs were actually conveying and it even helped me to catch shy and difficult to catch dogs when I was a dog warden.  The downside of course was the fact that I did not enjoy dog shows of any sort so much as I could pick out all the ones who were stressed by their handlers actions or the atmosphere.  That was balanced out by those who were happy and relaxed though as of course, dog shows whether beauty, obedience or agility etc are not the problem, the handlers were because of their own lack of knowledge where canine behaviour and body language.


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## leashedForLife

The Canine Behavior Blog » Welcome to The Canine Behavior Blog


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## tripod

Some great links there Terry, thanks:smile5:

I also really like this one for clients: If your pet could talk...


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## Cleo38

I've just read a few sections from the links & can see I have alot to learn. Can anyone recommend a good book for me ....(I much prefer to read from a book than the screen!)


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## Inkdog

Cleo38 said:


> I've just read a few sections from the links & can see I have alot to learn. Can anyone recommend a good book for me ....(I much prefer to read from a book than the screen!)


Two of the best books on this subject:

Barabara Handelman - _Canine Behaviour: A Photo Illustrated Handbook_
Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook: Amazon.co.uk: Barbara Handelman: Books

Brenda Aloff - _Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide_
Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide: Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog: Amazon.co.uk: Brenda Aloff: Books

If you buy a copy of the Handelman make sure you get the 2nd edition, the print quality of the photos has been much improved.


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## Cleo38

Brilliant - thanks for that


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## leashedForLife

thanks so much to the mod(s) for the sticky! :thumbup: 

body-language is so important, and newbies miss it except for Huge Signals - 
like growls, lunging, bolting in panic, and so on; where if they can see the early signs, 
much heartache is prevented.  

gratefully, 
--- terry


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## Inkdog

Another useful article on the importance of reading our dog's body language whilst we're out training, playing, etc: stress


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## Inkdog

Some more interesting video links in this thread: http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-training-behaviour/90884-dog-body-lang-play-signals-play-behavior-do-u-have-favorite-vid-links-add.html


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## leashedForLife

Inkdog said:


> Another useful article on the importance of reading our dog's body language whilst we're out training, playing, etc: stress


excellent article! :thumbup: loved the photos - 
the one were the dog is looking away to the left upper, described as More Concerned? 
notice the HACKLING over the shoulders + the tapering point running toward the spine... 
that fuzzy-look on a smoothcoat is subtle but alarming.


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## leashedForLife

a fearful, reactive dog described by her owner: 
Boulder Dog » Blog Archive » Magic Touch for Fearful Dogs

teach a useful skill with many applications to a fearful-k9 
or indeed to any dog or pup, as a foundation behavior! :thumbsup: Dog Training - How to Hand Target Train Dogs Video - About.com


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## Inkdog

Excellent collection of videos featuring Jean Donaldson talking about _Dog Body Language_: http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-training-behaviour/86860-videos-dom-dog-body-language.html

Thanks again, Terry!



leashedForLife said:


> YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 1
> 
> YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 2: Contrast Happy and Stressed
> 
> YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 3: Fear
> 
> YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 4: Threat
> 
> YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 5: Contact Intention & Threat


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## leashedForLife

puppies playing with adult-dogs 
Pet Forums Community - View Single Post - video-links: adult dogs play with pups *What Do U See?*

note all the self-handicapping, eliciting play from the pups, exaggerated signals, 
lying-down to seem less intimidating + get the game going, etc. 

notice ALSO that even the Chi-X is tolerated with extreme acceptance; 
he is BITING not playing, but the GSD does not respond in kind.


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## leashedForLife

YouTube - CU: Snap demos relaxing on mat and off-switch game

this is *leslie mcDevitt* demonstrating her Control-UNleashed techs, including a cued relaxation-response, 
rewarded by the chance to chase and kill a fake-ferret on a fishing-pole.

she asks for lying quietly, making soft eye-contact - 
she also specifically asks-for + GETS blinks; exhale (sigh); squinty-eyes / soft gaze; still tail. 
she marks the blinks specifically, also the still-tail. 
because of the general reactivity of a terrier-X and in the herding-type (the other ancestry of this dog) to MOVEMENT, 
the arousal-triggered rapid short wag of the tail is a real telltale for the dogs excited state.

when after the exciting kill-play with the fake-ferret, he tries lying BESIDE the mat not on it, she says, *Cheater!*  
+ sends him to the mat.

she also waits for a still tail + squinty-eyes before (again) rewarding him for relaxation with
the opp to grab the fake-ferret on the fishing-pole.

all my best,
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

*trish king* speaking at Marin Humane Soc

pt 1 - YouTube - Fear in Dogs part 1 / 6: Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
the amygdala and its enormous affect 
* not reasoning; not logical 
* strong emotional-associative memories 
* instinctive fears: sudden movement, certain sounds, etc.

the amygdalas function is to keep us safe by reacting way-before our cerebral-cortex ever could; its too slow. 
coevolving with humans has greatly-reduced the automatic-fear response of the dom-dog amygdala. 
young-pups are now highly-affiliative toward humans, where wild-canines are not.

pt 2 - YouTube - Fear in Dogs part 2 / 6: Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
the window of opportunity for socialization + habituation: 
other species treated as *family*: 3-weeks to 16-WO approx. 
primary-socialization: 5 to 6-weeks (in the nest) to 12-WO 
secondary socialization: 12-WO to 6-MO 
(secondary-socn = more work as input for markedly less-results as outcome; 
the more socn and habitn is done by 3 to 4-MO, the better by far.)

fear is the root of most aggro; humans do NOT read fear-signs well. 
many mislabel *fear* behaviors as dominance - 
or label truly bullying-dogs as *frightened* which they are not  
(thinking a bully is a poor sweet scared baby can be JUST as dangerous as labeling a spook *dominant*.)

poor-socn or trauma in puphood or adolescence can mean lifelong after-effects.

pt 3 - when fear leads to aggro 
YouTube - Fear in Dogs part 3 / 6: Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk

pt 4 - YouTube - Fear in Dogs part 4 / 6: Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
severe fear cases: 2 clips 
notice the lip-lifting over the incisors - both dogs do this, 
the 2nd to such a degree that he lifts the end of his nose up.

breeds likely to show fear-based behaviors vs breeds less-likely

pt 5 - YouTube - Fear in Dogs part 5 / 6: Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
what ppl do WRONG with fearful-dogs

things to keep in mind around fearful-dogs 
* they have No Conscious Control of their fear - 
fear controls THEM, not they it. 
Modifying the behavior of fearful-dogs 
* stay under threshold

pt 6 - YouTube - Fear in Dogs part 6 / 6: Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
socializing + habituating the fearful dog 
The Younger The Dog At The Time Of The Trauma, the Worse the Prognosis. 
Qs + As


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## leashedForLife

pt 1 of 7 - YouTube - Dog Introductions, part 1 of 7: A Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
human misconceptions + preconceptions 
* not all humans grok dogs 
* not all dogs R social with other dogs 
* most dogs dislike SOME dogs, some dislike MANY dogs, and a few dislike ALL other (name a class) dogs

physical appearance can affect a dogs reaction (friendly, worried, snappy) toward another dog. 
learning from past-exp *will* affect a dogs reaction to similar dogs.

pt 2 - YouTube - Dog Introductions, part 2 of 7: A Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
trail greetings - video of OFF-leash greetings, watch their behavior - 
arcs, curving bodies, tentative approaches the last few feet, etc.

at 1:22 WATCH the red-pit-X: see the hackles? across the shoulders + also in a wedge at the tail. 
NEXT is a Rhodie-X, older-F shes pacing indicative of pain in her rear; 
again, HACKLES at her rump and onto her tail-head, altho she greets politely.

at 2:28 there is a rather *fraught* encounter - watch the cream-colored Golden-X run toward the newcomer, she is way-too intent + head-down, charging; her tail is still, she is very stiff, she gets too close. 
her tail goes high, stiff and slow-flags; when they all wheel and run toward the camera, at 2:44 she gets a hard direct STARE from the Aussie, whom she is shouldering and crowding.

at 3:35 she and the GSD + shaggy-B+T all meet a near-white Lab-X - 
again the cream-Golden-X is stiff and pushy, but the Lab-mix stands very still; things don;t really start to relax until 3:50 when the GSD breaks off to stand side-on, wagging with mouth open. 
at 4:01 she is still standing at right-angles, looking DIRECTLY at the Lab-X, who is avoiding her gaze; the other 2 have already left. 
at 4:08 she BODY-blocks the dog by standing crosswise in front of them - 
*trish says, _thats so cool... the way she just stopped that dog... _

(i found it threatening myself, *interesting* to watch but not friendly - fluent!  yes, 
but not a social gesture, a stiff *anti-social* behavior.)

his head is up, he is looking above her head and to the left; his mouth is closed, ears are pinched, 
and tension evident. she looks-away, his mouth opens, he relaxes minimally; she gets right in front of him again - watch her HACKLES rise, shoulder + rump. then she gives a short conflicted bark, and bounces off. (finally... whew! poor dog, :lol

another video: 6:05, merle-Aussie-X, Sibe-Mix + Strider (the normally calm M GSD) 
a very BAD series of 2 greetings - 
the 2 teens meet first, then the Sibe-X bounces all over Strider, 
he tries to escape + is pursued, then gets cornered by both teens, he mounts the Sibe-X + is ignominiously dragged off her, and then the 2 teens get in his face, the Sibe gets up on hindlegs and snaps at him, the Aussie-X gets into the melee, + Strider loses it... loud angry barks.

pt 3 - YouTube - Dog Introductions, part 3 of 7: A Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
ON-leash greetings: always problematic! 
handlers directing the dogs approach + pace, leash inhibits free movement, arcing is almost impossible, etc.

OPTIONS when meeting off leash: 
* offer to play 
* flee 
* Fight 
* freeze 
* fool-around 
*fool-around* is AKA *tend - befriend*, most-often seen when Fs are involved, intact-Fs or desexed-Fs both; 
RARELY seen in intact-M encounters, but may be seen when desexed-Ms meet others.

on-leash *unless it is permitted,* 
the dogs cannot play, nor can they flee - 
FIGHT + FREEZE are the only options left for M-dogs, unless they are meeting a F (or possibly desexed-Ms) when fool-around is a possibility.

the Dance of the Dogs - 
allows circling, keep LOOSE leashes; keep leash betw each handler + respective dog, not entangling or restricting.

pt 4 - YouTube - Dog Introductions, part 4 of 7: A Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
this is an intro between a BC-x (white w/patches, docked) Female and a Golden-x (B+T short-legged heavy coat) Male. 
this is the ONLY dog she liked; notice SHE is stiff, he is loose-bodied; SHE wants to push, flirt + stare, 
HE wants to play + loosen-up. he refuses to engage her stares + allows her to stiff-arm + paw him w/o protest. 
[she also disliked children, went to a farm or ranch home, only dog/no kids, happy placement. ]

*Question about possible tiff? 
* Q about dog play-styles: 
does this affect GREETING styles? _oh, Yes... _ 
dog breeds act very differently, behavioral profiles + greeting-styles can vary wildly.

*trish points-out that SOCIALIZATION needs to be to a broad range of Dogs*, dog-types, ages, sizes, colors, coats, prick ears vs drop vs airplane vs cropped, docked vs tailless vs brush vs whip vs sabre, etc. 
*SOCIALIZATION must also be to a wide range of *humans* -* 
infants, toddlers, kids, teens, adults, seniors; fat, skinny, tall, black, white, brown, red, yellow; short, stocky, loud, silent, every ethnic diet, any accent or language; walking, hobbling, skipping, running, wheelchair, cane, walker.

pt 5 - YouTube - Dog Introductions, part 5 of 7: A Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
LESS calm intros: 
teen-M pied-pitbull-X with Strider 
introduced on-leash at a former seafood-plant in a large fenced yard, things seem good if a bit rushed, 
then they drop leashes and POW - he plows right into Strider, very pushy, very intrusive, persistent, plows thru the ppl, grabs, mouths, mounts, paw-jabs, etc.

fence-intros: why they are usually not a good idea 
* used when we are REALLY uncertain of temp 
* need to do very careful orchestration of *each* dogs approach to the fence 
(not shown in this video, which was for DEMO purposes to show how fence-aggro Kojak the Rott is)

*Kojak is OFF leash; he rushes the fence, stands face-on, STAREs, hackles, freezes, growls*
at Mollie, who is a tricolor BC or Aussie-mix, whippy F-adult - 
she barks back at him angrily, very defensive + unhappy, complete failure as an Intro.

Kojaks threats are intense + serious; Mollie is thoroughly aroused in response.

pt 6 - YouTube - Dog Introductions, part 6 of 7: A Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
Kojak at the fence, reacting to an unseen dog off-camera - 
hunkered, threat-barking deep chops, hackles up, teeth shown. 
Kojak has GOOD body-awareness when playing with humans, but once aroused so intensely 
by this black Golden x Lab, he ran right over *trish; he has also DISPLACED * AGGRO from a dog (intended target) 
to a human, TWICE since ETA at the shelter onto a potential adopter. 
*he cannot bite THEM? and U try to interfere? FINE - he;ll bite U. * 
Kojak is leash-reactive + has BARRIER frustration, so between the 2, he is very difficult to intro. 
he reacts TO the fence and he reacts ON-leash; he pulls AND he over-reacts to the mere sight of a dog.

Kojak went to rescue to preclude habitual dog-aggro which WOULD have developed in the shelter environs, with kennel runs + fences all around him.

4:15: fence-greetings gone bad... 
moving a M-Dal into another pen, with approx 13 dogs of all sizes, all off-leash; 
the Dal is overwhelmed, they are threat-barking before he even gets to the gate, 
he enters + is surrounded, his lips go up, he snarl-barks and spins, clearing the space around himself.

barrier-frustration is a combo of several factors: 
frustration, arousal (self-stimulating) and _SAFE_ -- *"behind a fence, we can Act-Out.  cool!..." *
its addictive + damages behavior vis-a-vis other dogs.

Qs re Pia Sylvanis talk a few months ago 
* Mounting As An Agonistic Behavior 
* mounting as a conflicted behavior 
------------------------------------------- 
TK: "easy to over-simplify" - 
PS also said -dogs don;t make noise drg play-. 
in TK exp, some breeds / individuals DO have noisy play - some don;t. 
similarly, MOUNTING can be habitual, arousal, status, hyper-excitement, social klutz, etc. 
U need to observe the individual to parse it out.

pt 7 - YouTube - Dog Introductions, part 7 of 7: A Marin Humane Society Brown Bag Talk 
TK: does not allow mounting 
risk of injury, many dogs do not appreciate it, etc. (rude, basically)

Q re PS talk: 
PS does not allow HER dogs to greet other k9s on leash, or even make eye-contact 
*nor does *trish except when working at the shelter with a known asst handling the other dog. *
when on TRAIL if TK sees another dog(s) On-Leash, her dogs go back on leash immed.

problematic dogs with far too-much energy/intrusiveness + poor self-control; 
teach lowered energy first (Luke, TKs dog) then teach increased self-inhibition.


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## leashedForLife

elapsed time: Nov-16 to Dec-28 
be sure to click on *MORE * INFO* - the homework for her owner is outlined there. 
the dog is a young-adult 50#-plus F-Golden who launches with force- she has HURT several ppl, 
causing serious injuries; getting her to stop jumping is a safety-issue.

pt 1 of 6 - November 16, 2008 
YouTube - #1 Layla - modifying 'dog jumping up' behavior-session #1 of 6 
long tether on the wall to limit access

pt 2 - November 22, 2008
YouTube - #2 Layla - modifying 'dog jumping up' behavior-session #2 of 6 
its been *6 days* - shes already on a front-clip harness + 6-ft leash

pt 3 - November 30, 2008 
YouTube - #3 Layla - modifying 'jumping up behavior' session #3 of 6 
*owner had flu; no homework or training over 8 days; change lesson plan*
her attn to her handler has improved enormously - 
she is in a street-scene on leash + front-clip harness, with multiple kids moving, 
on foot + on scooter or skateboard.

pt 4 - December 7, 2008
YouTube - #4 Layla - modifying 'dog jumping up' behavior session #4 
she has had good homework over the prior week - 
she is OFF leash with multiple children indoors (kids = prior powerful trigger) 
for the first time, approaching persons TOUCH her - but she maintains her sit + looks at her handler. 
she holds an off-leash sit-stay while handler + an adult shake hands; 
she watch them walk away without chasing or jumping on them. 
at *2:03* she is hand-cued to DROP + does, 
but on the way down, she wipes her paw down the handlers shins - 
her first AND * LAST inapropos contact for the entire session! 
but her rear stays on the floor, and so are all 3 feet other than that left forepaw. 
she stays DOWN while the adult-helper pets her head + back.

at 2:51 her M-running-partner shakes hands with the trainer, then does JUMPING * JACKS - 
and Layla stays in her sit! :thumbup: good girl... 
she never made any contact with any of the stooges, only ONCE pawed her trainer.

pt 5 - December 14, 2008 
YouTube - #5 Layla - modifying 'dog jumping up' behavior - session #5 
staying calm at the door - a HUGE former trigger; on-leash + front-clip harness

pt 5.5 - same day
YouTube - #5 1/2 Layla - modifying 'dog jumping up' behavior 
same setting: inside door at home 
leash is DROPPED - stand on it for safety when door opens - 
the multiple visitors are now talking + singing at the door (pre-Xmas 2008)

pt 6 - December 28, 2008 
YouTube - #6 Layla - modifying 'dog jumping up ' behavior #6 of 6! 
real-life street scene, no more stooges; Layla can walk on a loose-leash past friendly strangers 
(previously impossible) and even sit-stay for pets; she SNIFFS at some passersby, 
but makes no attempt to touch them, let alone jump-up.


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## leashedForLife

Training Dogs with Love - Oprah.com 
the hard-part for Oprah is KEEPING * HER * HANDS * DOWN!... :lol: 
as a trainer, that drives me bonkers, since in combo with eyes-on-eyes, it lures the dog right up off the ground... 
and then the eejit-human says, * see?! i told ya, the $%#@ dog Will Not Stop jumping!... * 

this is an excellent start, tho... :thumbsup: 
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

great still shots 
The Canine Behavior Blog » Welcome to The Canine Behavior Blog

rude, intrusive behs from 2 approx 4-MO/5-MO Lab-siblings 
YouTube - "Rude" lab puppies 
the adult-M is a Pitbull-type X Sighthound - maybe Whippet

2 adults having a nice time, jaw-wrestling 
YouTube - Malamute and Rottweiler at play in daycare 
interfering teen-pup muzzle-punches, barks, gets between

this has a long intro, but pay attn - 
YouTube - Pit Bull, 2 Boxers and a Chihuahua 
the play in the yard is VERY loud, rough + active - Pittie + Boxer typical 
the timid-F-Boxer has nothing to do with the other 2, and the Chi is the 
fun-police, harassing the 2 wildly-playing hooligans 

despite the title, this is not really *splitting* - 
YouTube - Dog's don't fight - Splitting dogs 
splits are silent + use body-language, the dog walks between /among the quarreling dogs, 
and stands there, or keeps moving if they STOP the potential-conflict. 
dams do a lot of splitting; some dogs do it in dog-parks, but not ENUF do.  
many dogs who are regulars at dog-parks have terrible manners, they leap all-over dogs they;ve just met. :blink:

notes on play-styles + breeds / types / mixes - 
styles vary widely (BCs bite + chase; pits wrestle); but RUDE is pretty well universal. 
when a dog says, _no, thanks... _ the soliciting dog should read the NO + go ask someone else to play... 
but of course, this does not always happen. 

some dogs are clueless + were undersocialized as pups; they don;t know how to signal, nor can they read others. 
pups taken too-early from dam + sibs often are in this group.

some are simply thugs; they overwhelm pups + smaller dogs, refuse to accept No, love to mount, harass + push. 
HERDING breeds, types, and their crosses are often *terrible* at dog-play with any but similar dogs; 
GSDs at dog-parks are all too often the Fun-Police; they shut down every game, 
they chase and bite everyone who moves faster than a walk, etc.  no fun!

BCs and Aussies will often TAKE or GUARD every dog-toy that can be thrown or that rolls or bounces; 
*if it moves, THEY want it, and no-one else, even the owner, can have it.* :lol: 
this can look very funny, but it can be quite hazardous, too. 
ASK * THE * OWNER to get the object, don;t try to get the toy from a strange dog... just to be safe.


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## leashedForLife

if the dog is anxious, timid, reactive / barky, aggressive, predatory + motion-sensitive - 
fearful, naive, under-socialized, under-habituated, *recently moved + are not responding well...* 
whatever the emotional problem, i use the same process for de-stressing. 
the Kitchen-Sink solution, :lol:... i throw *everything!* at these dogs, like paint on a wall, 
and _whatever sticks, works; what runs-off does not matter a whit!_:thumbup: :laugh:

calmatives - i would use all 3: 
DAP pump-spray, liquid Rescue-Remedy AND lavender botanical-spray for bed-linens. 
the 1st 2 require no learning at all; the lavender-aromatherapy is simple, but needs Association 
with calm / quiet / safe periods to really hook the relax cue (the odor of lavender) to the dogs automatic response... 
* BOTH rescue-remedy drops *and!* lavender can also be used by U and hubby - 
and i would strongly suggest this, as it helps U to relax, cope, stress less, + SLEEP better! :thumbup: *

5 to 6 drops of RR, 
taken AM + PM on an empty-tum, is a good baseline dosage; ADD another dose 15 to 20-mins before *expected* 
stressors... if something unexpected / unplanned / upsetting is a nasty surprise, just take the RR-liquid ASAP. 
for the dog, it is dripped directly into flews; OR dripped right onto a single treat, for immediate consumption. 
i have yet to have a dog refuse to eat it - IOW they do not need to be *plied* with it. 
*do not use the -pastilles- AKA sugar-pill version of Rescue-Remedy in a dog - 
they contain Xylitol, an artificial sweetener which causes a glucose-crisis in dogs; they can be comatose 
in as little as 20-mins, and die quickly. the * liquid * does not contain Xylitol, and is dog-safe. 
Xylitol is also in Tic-Tacs, diet-soda, baked-goods, toothpaste, etc - READ ingredients to assure safety. *

i do NOT add R-R drops to water; we then have zero idea when or if the dog drank it, or how much. 
Also a few dogs will veer-off from the novel odor in their accustomed bowl, and avoid drinking - Never a good thing! 
and yes, U can take RR as often as once per hour... assuming stress is constant, which we all hope it is not! 

 lavender linens-spray  
this takes very very little - U can spritz a few sprays in the bedroom 10 to 15-mins before bedtime, and let it dissipate with the room-door closed; U can spray 1 or 2 sprays on a small rag, and put it on the ROOF of the dogs shipping crate (solid surface!! not wire...) again, to dissipate before bed -

U can turn off a light in the living room, spray the FABRIC shade, let it stand a moment, and turn the light back on _ this is alcohol based, * do not spray near HEAT sources + do not SPRAY * LIGHT * BULBS!! :eek6: they can explode!! * _

for the DOG - 
avoid CORN in any + every form - corn-meal, corn-chips, cornstarch, corn-syrup, corn-flour, EVERYthing. corn is short on Tryptophan, which is a dietary precursor to serotonin and this leaves the dog on edge all the time; it * significantly lowers their threshold of reaction * - things that normally slide right by them not only are noticed, they are upset by them.

 a snug T-shirt or stretchy body-snugger that leaves belly/butt exposed  
the tighter the better -- any coat that stands-off the body should be squashed utterly flat against the body; 
or use the T-Touch BODY-WRAP of a 2-inch or 4-inch wide ACE-bandage, across the chest, up over shoulders, X, under torso, X, up over loin in front of hind-legs, X on loin, under belly, wrap up over back + around until used-up. 
PIN with safety pins, NOT using the butterfly-clips that come with Ace-bandages! dogs have picked them off + swallowed em, got;em snagged in a lip or gum, snapped the Ace bandage-tension and DRAGGED the pointy butterfly-clip across their face, etc. * over-sized diaper-pins with big heads work well - * the springs are powerful, and the dog cannot easily open them, nor be punctured. 
How to apply the TTouch Body Wrap

an illustration of the body-wrap can also be found in Getting in T-Touch with Ur dog (or Horse edition, same title). 
T-touch itself is safe, easy to learn and can be done at home or abroad - 
Amazon.com: Getting in TTouch with Your Dog: An Easy, Gentle Way to Better Health and Behavior (9781570762062): Linda Tellington-Jones: Books

the Anxiety-Wrap is very effective, an all-over elastic mesh-fabric that looks like a legless wetsuit 
for dogs - *this may be pricey, but it works, often when Rx-meds, etc, do not.* 
http://tinyurl.com/35bmcx9

sounds to mask any scary-noises:
* white-noise - the static between radio-stations 
* a fan on low 
* a sleep-sounds generator [running brook, surf, soft rain, etc] 
these often sell in Bed-n-bath shops for $10 or less
* a sleep-sounds CD on low: rainforest, beach, summer crickets...

DAP-spray everything that does not move :lol: 
and * that is not Dry-Clean Only, antique, alcohol-sensitive, garment-suede or garment-leather. * 
the dogs collar (OFF the dog, spritz, replace), the leash a hands-length from the clip just before attaching it to the collar (every time it swings by dogs nose, they get a fresh whiff), Ur pantslegs on the outside-seam at HEAD-height, Ur shoes or boots, the dogs bed, the crate, the back-seat of the car, the dogs fave-spot on the wall-to-wall, the sofa, their mat or a towel to lie-on, a RAG to sit on the roof of the shipping-crate (again, SOLID roof not wire!), Ur shirt or jacket cuffs, Ur gloves, the dogs harness BEFORE putting it on the dog, the seatbelt of the car that secures the dog/the crate... 
and anything else that is washable or synthetic or upholstery-leather. 
* if in doubt - SPRAY a hidden area, WAIT 48-hrs, CHECK for fading, softening, dye runs, smeared print, etc. *

DAP lasts approx 90-mins per dose; each SPRITZ is a measured amount + is the dose for that surface, 
but one spritz on the collar, the leash, my pantslegs on either leg, my boots, my cuffs, + my gloves is just fine... 
THERE * IS * NO * OVERDOSE for DAP or for Rescue-Remedy, and there are NO interactions with other items - meds, food, nothing! 
very very safe...

the pump-spray works faster; the plug-in works only in the home, and the effect is BEST near the plug-in, so its area-specific and a narrow application. 
if U can afford it, BOTH is best - 
put the plug-in near the familys busiest area, where the dog is =most-likely= to be approached, touched, etc... 
but the pump-spray can go in a pocket or bag, and be used anywhere; i highly recommend it, DAP is wonderful stuff. 


> *note re the plug-in DAP -
> check the diffuser beginning about 3-weeks after its plugged-in; if it is very-close to empty,
> it can OVERheat + start to *smoke!* at which time it requires a HOT-Pad or Gloves to un-plug it.
> put it OUTside on a concrete or macadam surface to let it cool!
> if it is very COLD out, drop it into a metal bucket or tin can in case it SHATTERS from the heat/cold shock.
> 
> 4 different trainers on the apdt-USA list had this smoke-in-the-house event,
> and difficulty finding the source.
> i have no doubt an EMPTY or Near-Empty diffuser is a FIRE-hazard; if U cannot refill it, UN-plug it for safety. *


DAP is dosed: 1 spritz is a measured amount, it lasts approx 90-mins and can be re-applied indefinitely; 
NO dosage risks. *Lots of DAP exposure for women means some breast-swelling + minor tenderness - 
so do not be alarmed by that, it is not dangerous, just a mild discomfort. 
bear in mind, i am spraying boots (2), pantcuffs (2), sideseams (2), shirt/jkt cuffs (2), and possibly 
GLOVES as well - i get a LOT of exposure. * 
the tenderness fades over 12 to 24-hours of lesser exposure.

 NILIF -  
every WANT + every NEED for the dog is asked-for with a pretty-please + pre-paid with a SIT, before the dogs desire/need is granted. this is a simple habit; getting it into the dogs life simplifies their comprehension, builds compliance + is a reassuring routine, which is soothing. 
_* it also provides a useful tool for the DOG - a Pretty-Please SIGNAL to communicate with us humans. *_* this allows the dog 
to talk to us... and is very helpful in reducing frustration + stress, as a result - just like a pre-verbal toddler, 
who WANTS / NEEDS but cannot tell us what, and the child gets frustrated + upset - As Do We Adults. *

 routines -  
doing C after B after A... dogs are just like humans, they love their patterned behaviors + habits, this is hugely reassuring + de-stressing.

 exercise -  
the more aerobic the better - it is a proven brightener for mood + releases endorphins.

 SING to the dog -  
it helps both of U - singing changes breathing + improves oxygenation, and it helps the dog relax. 
make-up a parody for the dog with their NAME in it... dogs love this! 
make it fun + funny, use the name in the song to get the dogs attn for a treat or toss a toy when they hear their Sacred Name + LOOK at U... etc.

 LAUGH -  
at the dog, at the #[email protected]&*! neighbor, at a joke on-line, RENT a funny movie, watch the Marx Bros in  duck soup,  read the Pickwick Papers out loud, tell dumb jokes...

for everybody involved - 
eat as well as possible - don;t eat cr*p; SIT down to eat, make it a meal not a snack eaten standing; 
SLEEP as early + well as U can. keep regular hours, and do not stay abed for 2-hours later than usual on weekends, etc.

BATHS vs showers - soak in something warm, + softly scented. warm the towels; soak yer feet; do a pedicure; eat a picnic on a rainy, dull day. INDULGE intelligently...

take NAPS when U get over-tired or stressed or yawny. 
listen to good upbeat music, AVOID the 11-pm news before bed!! 
do not read or watch upsetting, disturbing things before bed; murder mysteries, movies with lots of violence, hate-radio, etc. 
good mental hygiene is very important!

hope this helps - and supportive ppl who listen are also key; they do not have to DO anything - just ** listen to U... ** 
talk to the dog, talk to Urself, talk to the hubby, call a 24-hour stress hotline... TALK. 
if there is no one to talk to, WRITE * IT * DOWN... and then push it out of mind, and forget it.

all my best - if anyone has more, feel free! add whatever works for U... 
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

Pet Forums Community - View Single Post - 11 Month Old Collie with no respect 
* front-clip H-harnesses 
clip the leash to the ring on the chest; the ring connects 3 straps, one over each shoulder, one goes down the sternum to the girth-strap

* HABITUATED head-collar with an under-jaw connection 
headcollars that attach at the rear of the dogs head are not applicable, as they do not allow the handler to turn the dogs head 
away from their trigger; one can only drag the dog sideways as they continue to stare + react (not IMO helpful)  

safety first...  
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

is the heads-up; then use mechanical advantages for safe management: 
Pet Forums Community - View Single Post - 11 Month Old Collie with no respect


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## leashedForLife

a thread-segment on crates - sizing, style + uses, location: 
Pet Forums Community - View Single Post - 8 Month old jack russel problems - please help - last straw

IME dogs that need crates include:
spooks - any age, sex, size
anxious + reactive dogs - barky, easily startled, snappish... 
youths under 12-MO (teething, exploring, etc) 
dogs not reliably housetrained 
aggressive or territorial dogs (at night; when visitors or kids are about; etc)

** visitors ** or boarders - 
housetrained-at-home does not warranty housetrained when stressed 
(traveling is stressful; also hotel-rooms, etc, can have old urine, for ex)

in heat, in whelp, in recovery; while injured or ill...

elderly + easily upset or confused

PAIN chronic or acute - spinal or joint issues, soft-tissue injuries, arthritic...

during chaotic events - 
weddings, Xmas visitors, kids sleepovers, hurricanes, and other acts of God and (hu)man... 

noisy + scary holidays - 
New Years (gunfire, fireworks), Guy-Fawkes, Hallowe-en, Independence/4th of July...

hunting season

thunderstorm season - 
for sound-sensitive or phobic dogs (they need DS/CC as well as confinement - simply confining does not address the issue, 
which invariably worsens over time )

DOGS * IN * TRANSIT - 
an airline-approved-kennel is The Safest Way to travel, by car, plane, whatever - 
tested for burst-strength, they do not BEND to trap (or release!) the occupant, will not fold or puncture the occupant, 
are CRUSH-resistant and durable, and help keep the curious from touching or teasing the dog.  it happens...

our dogs, when visiting friends or relatives - 
a crate is great for a safe-zone; at night in a strange house; to sequester the dog when we are out; etc. 
Aunties cats are safe from nephew-Dog when Dog is crated... 

there are others, but those are the highlights; crates come in handy at training classes, public park events, dog shows, clinics, seminars, agility trials, hunt clubs, dog sports of all kinds, and more.

for safety and a room of their own, 
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

growls often accompany certain body-parl - *Freezing* in fear when cornered or pinned, 
*hunkering* over a bowl or bone, *eyes-on-eyes staring* from a turfy-dog, 
*guarding injuries* from painful handling or simple touch... and many more. 
growls have CONTEXT + EMOTION: play, threat, warning, fear, anger...

from Discovery News: Earth, Space, Tech, Animals, Dinosaurs, History 
------------------------------------- 
*Dog Growls Contain Specific Information* 
Dog Growls Contain Specific Information : Discovery News 
3 audio-video samples of growls + context: 
play-tug, RG of food, threatening-stranger

*Whats Step-Away-From-The-Bone in Dog? *
Grrrâ¦ what's 'Step away from the bone' in dog? - life - 08 March 2010 - New Scientist 
Lorand-Univ has done a LOT of k9-research recently, much of it quite amazing, oversetting preconceived notions of dog-congnizance.

i also liked THIS one: 
------------------------------ 
Discovery-News, *human-listeners predict size of dog from growl* 
Discovery News : Discovery Channel 
there is a 2nd-page at the end of that short paragraph - click on [2] or [next].

heres a direct-link to page-2 in case its deleted or moved - 
Discovery News : Discovery Channel

and **Why do dogs growl?* * 
------------------------------- 
Why Do Dogs Growl? 
good for clients who cannot see growls as priceless communication that we need... 
in fact, *We Want growls*, not to trigger them, but to have that warning!

enjoy, 
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

compare + contrast the body-language shown in these 2 clips -

Canis Film Festival 
a form of Choose - To - Heel using a toy rather than food rewards - 
the Black + Tan is the trainers dog, who is approx 18-MO and well-trained; 
the smaller black-mix with semi-prick ears + some short tail-feather is the pet of the couple, 
most-likely a BC (or possibly Aussie) X with Lab.

YouTube - e-collar training - poor dog 
adult M-Rott being shocked by a 'Remote' training-collar - 
altho oddly enuf, the handler is less than 12-inches away, most of the time... :huh: (the **poor dog** title is the handlers little joke... 
this is an ad for his skills )

in the one clip, the body-language is loose + open; in the other, contracted + tense.


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## CarolineH

Loved the first video! It gave me a warm feeling in my heart to see happy dogs doing happy training! No jerking, no corrections needed!

The second video was saddening to see. A very stressed and worried dog who, if he had had his tail, would have had it firmly clamped down.  That's not training. That's abuse.


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## katiefranke

I'm loving this thread Terry!! So much great info and videos :thumbup:



leashedForLife said:


> when a dog says, _no, thanks... _ the soliciting dog should read the NO + go ask someone else to play...
> but of course, this does not always happen.
> 
> some dogs are clueless + were undersocialized as pups; they don;t know how to signal, nor can they read others.
> pups taken too-early from dam + sibs often are in this group.
> 
> some are simply thugs; they overwhelm pups + smaller dogs, refuse to accept No


The above sounds strangely like a dog I know 



leashedForLife said:


> HERDING breeds, types, and their crosses are often *terrible* at dog-play with any but similar dogs; ...
> BCs and Aussies will often TAKE or GUARD every dog-toy that can be thrown or that rolls or bounces;
> *if it moves, THEY want it, and no-one else, even the owner, can have it.* :lol:
> this can look very funny, but it can be quite hazardous, too.
> ASK * THE * OWNER to get the object, don;t try to get the toy from a strange dog... just to be safe.


and sadly this is very much like maggie! although I find she is worse than the other BCs I have had/known...I guess all linked to her food guarding etc when she was little as it was quite pronounced as a baby...


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## leashedForLife

katiefranke said:


> and sadly this is very much like maggie!
> although I find she is worse than the other BCs I have had/known...
> I guess all linked to her food guarding etc when she was little as it was quite pronounced as a baby...


they can be related, of course - but RG of food is a perfectly normal, innate dog behavior, which is species-apropos. 
(IOW we may not like it, but its natural + can be modified without a huge deal of difficulty, in 80% or more of pups, IME.)

RG toward *toys that move * is more of an age-acquired thing, and the earlier the pup learns to share toys, the better - 
but as U note, the intensity (like RG re food) varies by individual *and* breed. 
for ex, it is normal to expect that a guarding-type pup will begin RG-food earlier + be more intense than say, a gundog-type... 
all else being equal. 
likewise, it is predictable that most herding-types will chase more-intensely + earlier than gundogs or guard-types... 
the GSD-pup may be chasing cars by 14-WO, while the gundog-puppy is still busy chewing everything in reach, 
:lol: and sniffing game-sign with interest.

Mags is still young - her toy-RG is still modifiable and is (i bet) improving still? 
teaching her Tug-Of-Peace if she does not yet know it, could make a big difference - DROPPING the toy on cue brings it back 
for more tug! YAY... :thumbup: and a good solid verbal *Drop* or *Leave it* is easy to teach, subsequent to getting a really solid, 
rapid DROP * ON * DEADWEIGHT auto-response. 

shes a kid - and her abilities for her age + breed are already impressive! :thumbsup: just keep polishing... 
Mags will IMO make further progress.  shes not even 10-MO yet, is she?

- terry


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## leashedForLife

CarolineH said:


> The second video was saddening to see. A very stressed and worried dog who, if he had had his tail, would have had it firmly clamped down.  That's not training. That's abuse.


yes, i thought he looked really quashed... the slow-motion recalls + the sudden PLOP of his sits, as if the puppeteer 
had dropped the strings, were really indicative to me, and his roached back + tucked rump were frequent. :nonod: poor fella. 
the comment under the video that the Rott "does not like this (person)" felt true to me, too. 
such a pity...


----------



## katiefranke

leashedForLife said:


> ...Mags is still young - her toy-RG is still modifiable and is (i bet) improving still?
> teaching her Tug-Of-Peace if she does not yet know it, could make a big difference - DROPPING the toy on cue brings it back
> for more tug! YAY... :thumbup: and a good solid verbal *Drop* or *Leave it* is easy to teach, subsequent to getting a really solid,
> rapid DROP * ON * DEADWEIGHT auto-response.
> 
> shes a kid - and her abilities for her age + breed are already impressive! :thumbsup: just keep polishing...
> Mags will IMO make further progress.  shes not even 10-MO yet, is she?


oh her sharing with PEOPLE is perfect :thumbup: not a peep, will drop on command (I usually do a swap - but there have been 'emergency' times when she has just dropped immediately - for instance when she got a mushroom on a walk!!  and she will share all her toys with people...it is with other dogs she is a beast!!

she will share by taking the toys to them as if she wants to play, but gets very bitey and whiney with unknown dogs around her ball for instance and she also gathers up all the toys and keeps them with her when playing with other dogs at home...she will share to play with them (i.e. when she wants to play tug with them) but the sharing has to be on HER terms!


----------



## leashedForLife

katiefranke said:


> ...she will share all her toys with people... its with other dogs she is a beast!!
> 
> she will share by taking the toys to them as if she wants to play, but gets very bitey and whiney with unknown dogs around her ball for instance and she also gathers up all the toys and keeps them with her when playing with other dogs at home...
> she will share to play with them... to play tug (etc) *but the sharing has to be on HER terms!  *


well, the little mon... errmmm, a-hem, MISSie!, :lol: what a pip  
U can work on that too, ya know - when the Queen of All Nonesuch gets up on her high-horse, YOU take her toy... and *play with the Other Dog while she watches :nonod: awwww, does widdle pumpkin wanna pway? THEN * PUMPKIN * HAS * TO * SHARE, :lol:

if being a beast makes the toy entirely inaccessible, while playing nicely leaves it out where she can get it, her manners should improve, i think 

all my best, 
--- terry


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## katiefranke

leashedForLife said:


> if being a beast makes the toy entirely inaccessible, while playing nicely leaves it out where she can get it, her manners should improve, i think


she is definitely a little madam!

I will try that! thanks terry


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## leashedForLife

HowStuffWorks Videos "Barking at the Door"


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## leashedForLife

in many species...

intro to clicker-training 
YouTube - An Introduction to Clicker Training

first-days C/T with an 8+WO pup 
YouTube - clicker puppy

Charging the Click (step 1) 
YouTube - Clicker Training Made Easy

a non-verbal sales-pitch for an e-book - 
YouTube - Dog Clicker Training - Learn About Clicker Training For Dogs 
but thats OK, it is also a brisk compendium of fluent 
behaviors, including Teach HEEL-Position to a Pup 

teach a bow 
YouTube - Dog Clicker Training - Teaching Your Dog to Take a Bow

advanced clicker-class 
YouTube - Neo & Tuxedo At Advanced Clicker Training Class taught by Catherine Collignon 
(notice how relaxed the dogs + ppl are - only one dog is off-leash at any one time, except of course for the Aussie-owner, 
who needs to demo her dogs wonderful self-control, no doubt after lengthy struggle )

YouTube - Clicker Training a Horse to Retrieve 
teach a horse to fetch

YouTube - Lotsa and Lotsa Llama Tricks 
lotsa lotsa llama tricks

TAGteach - clickers in classrooms
YouTube - TAGteach Applications

those are happy training events!  
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

i was asked elsewhere if ppl can use dog-signals when trying to communicate with dogs; of course! 
but there are some cautions - it has to be in an appropriate context, just for starters. 
if U laugh-pant at a dog U have never seen before, standing patiently waiting beside the owner while U humans chat, 
the dog will think U have a screw loose - this is not an apropos setting. 

i have used body-language taken from dogs in the group-setting of a shelter kennel to help quiet the [insane! and painfully loud] barking, bouncing off the concrete floor, block-walls + concrete-ceiling, ouch.

but there ARE things dogs do, IMO + IME, that we cannot mimic - 
i can yawn, laugh-pant, smile-squint, offer non-threat body-parl... 
but i CANNOT air-snap in another dogs face, IMO and i have zero intention of ever trying it out. 
i think that sort of thing is ridiculously exaggerated, and my grabbing a dogs collar or scruff to *reprimand* them 
has far too-much potential for bad after-effects - ducking from hands, snapping at hands, fear of restraint - 
to be worth the attempt. 
(besides as i have said before - i have yet to see any dog *scruff* another dog to punish them. 
bite yes; growl-bark? sure! air-snap, hard-stare, etc; yes, yes, yes. 
but the only dogs that i have seen literally SCRUFF another dog + lift them have been dams moving neonates.)

among the easy-to-adopt dog-signals for humans: 
* yawns 
* blinks 
* look-aways [head turns with re-directed gaze... Oh, Look At That, :lol: ...] 
* quiet breathing / long sighs 
* happy pants or laugh-pants (raspier, more irregular, slightly louder) 
* smiles 
* soft eyes 
* angled stance 
* arcing approach 
and more that are non-threat, reassuring or friendly.

*UNLESS U know the dog* -- Ur dog - not some random dog in a street or shelter! 
*i would NOT recommend trying *
* hard stares - can trigger a bite 
* growls - ditto

* frontal + vertical body-language to a threatening dog 
(standing tall, shoulders back, head high, ESPECIALLY with eyes-on-eyes) 
its a great way to convert a guarding-display into full-on threats or bites - add a deep-threat voice, 
and there is every chance U may be bitten.

*pretending* we can mimic dog-bites as corrections with bitey-hands, pokes, etc, IMO only exacerbates any aggro 
or reactivity - if we want _calm_, IMO + IME we need to *be calm. *
adding human-aggro, confrontation or aggravation is IME not helpful.  in fact, its been counterproductive.

cheers, 
--- terry

for the naysayers: 
in emergencies we do what we must - just remain AWARE that once the aggression / confrontation card has been played, 
Ur hand is empty - U cannot back-up and go to re-direction or de-fusing the bomb.


----------



## leashedForLife

at home alone with an (apparently) psychotic teenaged-M owner 
YouTube - Me psychologically and physically torturing my puppy dog

if U want to set out to make a dog shut-down + fearful, this kid has it down to a science, IMO  i wonder what the M-pup 
will behave like, when full-grown? :nonod:

ashamed of my species again, 
--- t


----------



## EmCHammer

Enjoying looking at all the links - its very interesting..

I had a situation yesterday with another dog which was interesting to watch which resulted in both mine percieved to be acting aggressive but having learnt a bit about it over the years with the dogs I got was interesting to watch.

Staff x see's my two and comes haring over 100 miles an hour. My girl is pretty good with other dogs but doesn't tolerate rudeness. She can be a bit of a bully and will chase and barge dogs and loves to play rough with lots of growling. Anyway she see's this dog coming and takes off at it runs along next to it being noisy and nipping it for rushing at them. My reactive (after being attacked) boy dog hasn't noticed and all of a sudden they are both at him which has made him jump. Everyones stood all stiff and tense.. my girl has broken it by wandering off and sniffing the ground. 

My boy's hackles are up he has one paw in the air and keeps looking at the dog and away but no one is breaking the situation - he then lunges and tries to chase the little staffie off... it then keeps turning away from him to break the contact and he then keeps trying to stand over it.... 

I continued to walk away - if i touch him in this situation he would have reacted at the dog again... he see's me walking away, breaks eye contact to look at me and at that second I call him and his recall kicks in and he comes back, other dog shakes and runs back to owners.


I always watch the dogs if mine react to them; they arent the best but quite often the dogs aren't phased by these little scuffles its the owners who freak out at times.

The way I see it is young and happy dog with not very good manners has come racing over.. puds has tried to tell it. Its made tekno jump and he is in that moment where he isn't comfortable.. puds maybe tries to diffuse it by moving off - he reacts cos it works. Then realises the other dog isn't a threat so gets a bit more pushy with it as he see's the other dog isn't reall a threat (he can be humpy in these situations too when over excited or stressed)


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## leashedForLife

EmCHammer said:


> ...quite often the dogs aren't fazed by these little scuffles... *its the owners who freak-out at times.*
> 
> ...(a) young and happy dog with not-very-good manners has come racing over... Puds has tried to tell [the youth thats rude].
> [the sudden arrival] made Tekno jump and... he isn't comfortable...
> Puds maybe tries to diffuse it by moving off - [Tekno] reacts cos it works. Then [Tek] realises the other dog isn't a threat so [he] gets a bit more pushy with [the newcomer], as he sees the other dog isn't really a threat.


Yup!  lots of owners freak entirely over silly things like an air-snap or snark; if it STOPS there, 
and nobody is the least bit hurt or upset, there is nothing to get excited about :lol:

that was a good description of an all-too-common scene - 
a teen-thug who has not gotten manners or self-restraint, or just got excited + forgot them, 
racing over to adult-dogs who are not best-pleased by the hooligan arriving in their midst. 


EmCHammer said:


> he can be humpy in these situations too when over-excited or stressed


lots of dogs, almost invariably M but a few Fs, will mount or hump [mount followed by thrusting] as a de-stressor. 
they are over-excited with nothing to relieve their arousal, OR they are conflicted - anxious over a new dog in the group, 
but equally excited + happy to be at the familiar beach / park / other... so rather than quarrel with the new-dog, who did nothing to deserve trouble, 
they mount a familiar buddy to ground the stress - kinda like a lightning-rod - 
they are trying to calm themselves, but if they pick the wrong dog, or the wrong day, it will not be taken well. 

its better to TEACH them a safer, more-effective self-calming tactic - 
like a good, solid, all 4 legs braced *Shake! *

a good cued shake-off lets the dog sooth themselves without pestering anyone else.  and they can [and often Will] 
do it again, if need be! :laugh:

my Akita after a really busy, stressful afternoon at the rehab hospital, made me laugh out-loud by shaking - VIGOROUSLY! - 
3 separate times between the automatic doors + the car, :lol: each one more all-over brisk than the last :thumbup: 
only the first one was cued... 
she made everything in her backpack rattle, :laugh: and then pranced + grinned like a monkey, the minx.

-- terry


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## leashedForLife

YouTube - A doggy summer - A kutyÃ¡k is szeretik a strandot 
enjoy! 

this is promo for a Polish dog-training school BTW. 
there is a Xmas video, with many of the same dogs - decorating the tree, bringing in presents, etc.


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## leashedForLife

YouTube - NÃ©pszigeti Kutyaiskola BemutatÃ³ja - Eurodogshow 2008

YouTube - NÃ©pszigeti Kutyaiskola BemutatÃ³ja 2008.04.27

YouTube - A csoportunkrÃ³l (About our group)

july 2009 - 
YouTube - NÃ©pszigeti Kutyasuli - nyÃ¡ri tÃ¡bor 2009, BemutatÃ³ csoport 02 
in this one, the Viszla tries to duplicate the Dogos trick of getting GLUED 
to a target on the floor by his nose, :lol: the Viszla gives it a good try, but needs more practice!  
the off-leash routine by the Shih-Poodle is a riot, and what a cute dog!

i get the feeling this is a graduating class or a summer camp/ seminar, but i do not read Polish - 
so i cannot be sure, its just a feeling.

enjoy, 
--- terry


----------



## tripod

Is this not the same troupe that did the Christmas Doggy Surprise and all that amazing work - just a group of excellent devoted dog owners not pro trainers doing displays and exhibiting their stunning relationships with their stunning dogs  ?


----------



## leashedForLife

tripod said:


> Is this not the same troupe that did the Christmas Doggy Surprise and all that amazing work - just a group of excellent devoted dog owners not pro trainers doing displays and exhibiting their stunning relationships with their stunning dogs  ?


yup!  
the Xmas-surprise + Sunny-Day routines are the demo-troupe - 
they are the founders + some buddies from the 1st few months of the school.

the others (there are 2 or 3 more on U-Tube) are newbies, with their dogs; not as polished, but having JUST as much fun! :001_tt1:


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Hundetraining

a tricolor Pointer plays *find the hiding person... * with enthusiasm - 
*such * said as _Zuhkh_ is Northern German for SEARCH - 
southern Germany says the glottal *ch* as a soft-sound, *shh*.

this dog has been trained to stay with the person, and bark until joined by the handler - 
if they move, he follows; this is a bark-alert. the bark-alert is preferred by police, but it can get the dog killed.

other dogs are taught race BACK to the handler, indicate, return to person, etc, until the handler gets to the person. 
if the person moves, the dog must re-find, which generally takes very little time. 
this ping-pong alert is often taught by SAR handlers; in a fallen-building, they may ask the dog to bark, 
rather than backtrack over unstable surfaces, etc.

enjoy, 
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

YouTube - Hundetraining Punkte tippen 
with a happy, focused black Lab bitch...

betcha didn;t even know U could train in German, didja? :lol: 
amazing, eh? unknown talents...  clicker is universal.

targeting is an excellent foundation behavior for pups or adults - 
once learnt, it becomes the basis for go her, go there, shut the door, lie down RIGHT there, stand here, etc.

it is almost infinitely useful - and E-Z peasy to teach. 
happy training, 
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

Any need for verbal corrections? - Pet Forums Community

the video link is in post #1 - the rest of the thread is fascinating, too.


----------



## leashedForLife

marc bekoff - 
Dog growls, fish pain, and gorilla play: New and exciting findings from the world of animals | Psychology Today


----------



## leashedForLife

ABRI Videos and Podcasts


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## leashedForLife

we;ve all seen them - 
dogs who bark insanely, scream, lunge, froth with excitement, spin, pogo up and down, bite the lead, another dog, bite the handler...

we all know dogs who lose their minds under specific circs (squirrel runs, bike rolls by, strange-dog approaches while leashed...) 
there are also dogs who go mindlessly-manic, seemingly All The Time - these are often reactive breeds / mixes, 
like terrierrists, herding-breeds, varmint-dogs (MinPin, Schnauzer...) and their ilk. 
*this is not something U just gotta live with... it is however something U must re-teach.*

dogs with lousy coping-skills for excitement or transitions need help - not hollering. 

1st step: 
teach a good, solid *Leave it* or *Drop* - 
YouTube - How to teach 'leave it'- without intimidation 
NOT with punishment (shake-cans, squirts, etc), but by teaching leave/drop for an alternative reward.

once s/he has a really-thoroughly taught + proofed Leave/Drop, U can *cue* leave-it / drop-it when the dogs still Thinking 
About going bonkers; if the dog is already-manic, U missed that opportunity - don;t blame the dog, get them out of the situation 
or at the very-least, further away from the trigger. 
until they are taught + proofed, *management* + *re-direction* are used to both prevent the behavior, + stop it if it starts.

the longer any behavior is practiced, the faster, more-fluent, and more-automatic it becomes - 
*teaching is always faster than re-teaching.* 
please do not punish the dog for habits we have allowed to calcify into ruts of behavior; just manage to prevent it, 
CONSISTENTLY halt it with the drag, and *redirect the dog to an acceptable, well-rewarded behavior.* :thumbup:

transitions - 
out the door, in the door...; visitors, departures + returns, etc, are always challenging for reactive-k9s. 
please Do Not punish mania at these times; 
quashing the dog so that s/he is shut-down is not a desirable goal, and for some dogs, it requires such harsh punishment 
that fallout (aggression, redirected-aggro to the visitor/other dog, etc) is virtually inevitable.

teaching a really-enthusiastic game of TUG is a good alternative, 
teaching any dog or pup *Go Wild! and Freeze...* with the tuggy is another way to teach excellent self-control, 
YouTube - Go Wild & Freeze - A fun way to train a dog to have impulse control 
now the dog can learn to self-calm in high-stress situations. 
freeze-game with a tuggy: 
YouTube - Self-Control Games!

a written-description of *Go Wild! FREEZE...* is also here - 
The Dog Trainer : Indoor Games for People and Dogs :: Quick and Dirty Tips  
*TIP: 
taking Ur eyes off the dogs eyes as U say, Freeze, Sit, Down, ____ 
and YOU * FREEZING helps the dog see the game-rules: 
* eyes off the dog 
* calm-behavior cue (sit, down, freeze, halt...) 
* U freeze rock-still *

SELF-CONTROL must be both taught, and proofed - 
start with relatively low-level excitement, and as s/he improves, raise the criteria - always try to keep it successful, 
if the dog starts failing repeatedly, the criterion was raised too-fast.  back-up to a success point, and try again.

happy training, 
--- terry


----------



## gigona

Cleo38 said:


> I've just read a few sections from the links & can see I have alot to learn. Can anyone recommend a good book for me ....(I much prefer to read from a book than the screen!)


Cesar Millan books, he talks about dog psychology too . :thumbup:

Welcome to Cesar Millan&#039;s Official Web Site | Cesar Millan


----------



## leashedForLife

gigona said:


> Cesar Millan books, he talks about dog psychology too .


what Cesar *talks about*, gigona, and what he *knows about* may be 2 very different things - 
*dog psychology* has no defined meaning; the line of patter CM uses is inaccurate, vague, confusing + idiosyncratic, IMO. :blink:

=Cesar Millan= is a former-illegal-immigrant with a 9th-grade education from a rural-Mexico school - 
he arrived in the USA and began taking odd-jobs: construction, day-work, etc. 
after some time, he was hired by 2 women-groomers to sweep the floor - 
then he was asked to bathe dogs, and they found out he was not afraid of being bitten, 
*and could FORCE dogs to shut-up + put-up, %$#@^&*! *, easier than the 2 of them could. (shrug) 
does that mean he *trained* the dogs? _IMO, No - it does not._ he could MAKE them tolerate handling. 
they were no happier after than they were before; in fact SOME dogs are made markedly more-aggro by coercion, 
others are only slightly-worse, some are shut-down, others simply fold. 
many are neither better nor worse - In The Grooming Salon - but stress emerges elsewhere, in their behavior.

IMO Cesar seems to have a terrible time even SEEING, let alone accurately READING, dog body-language. 
he will jerk a dog along who is *to my eyes* utterly terrified; miserable, tail-down, shaking visibly, HUGE pupils, 
and CM announces, *this dog is very dominate... * :crazy: *say what?*

i can only conclude one of 2 things is happening: 
either 1 ) we are looking at altogether different dogs... his film + our film are not the same... 
or 2 ) CM/DW does not agree with the rest of the world --- 
experienced dog-trainers, vet-behaviorists, and other behavior-specialists like CAABs. 
*many, many, many behavior-savvy pros have opined on CM/DW; 
please see the various posts here for leads. * 
http://tinyurl.com/2g6bm8v 
there are more than 11 pages of THIRTY posts each, on my screen (i set mine for max-threads under preferences.)

happy reading, 
--- terry


----------



## sequeena

gigona said:


> Cesar Millan books, he talks about dog psychology too . :thumbup:
> 
> Welcome to Cesar Millan's Official Web Site | Cesar Millan


Oh no, you did not just mention Cesar Milan on Terry's thread pmsl I would run for cover if I were you  :lol:

Edit: Haha! SEE!


----------



## leashedForLife

gigona said:


> Cesar Millan books...


re INKDOGs reply to *cleo 
__________________________________ 
Quote,

Barbara Handelman - 
Canine Behaviour: A Photo Illustrated Handbook: Amazon.co.uk: Barbara Handelman: Books 
(recommended 2nd-ed)

Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide: Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog: Amazon.co.uk: Brenda Aloff: Books
__________________________________

Cesars books have no comparison to 2 extensive collections of carefully-selected photographs of dog-behavior 
and signaling, using posture, tail position, ear position, facial details, etc, to indicate their emotions + intentions. 
*thats* what this thread is about - 
_what are dogs saying , and can we understand what they say?_

cheers, 
--- terry


----------



## leashedForLife

sequeena said:


> Oh no, you did not just mention Cesar Milan on Terry's thread pmsl I would run for cover if I were you  :lol:
> 
> Edit: Haha! SEE!


:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: 
_U have learned much, grasshopper... _ :lol: :laugh: :001_tt2:  
hee-hee-hee...


----------



## sequeena

leashedForLife said:


> :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
> _U have learned much, grasshopper... _ :lol: :laugh: :001_tt2:
> hee-hee-hee...


Good night Obi Wan  :lol:


----------



## leashedForLife

sequeena said:


> Good night Obi Wan  :lol:


oops - my fault!  cross-cultural crossed-references :lol: 
supreme nothing: I'll Miss David Carradine
*david carradine* portrayed a Zen-warrior whose teacher called him ~grasshopper~... 
great series, it was dramatic, moving, an ethical fairy-tale for grown-ups. 

RIP, david - 
U were a good teacher, and we loved U for Ur good heart. 
many kind and illuminating moments were gifts from U - Blessings, friend.


----------



## CarolineH

Dog +R Resource Page
Excellent resource page for those who believe that there is more to dogs behaviour than CM actually knows for real and for those who have yet to learn.


----------



## leashedForLife

the MRD1 Gene is a mutation that was once thought ONLY to affect Collies and their relatives, 
and only ONE drug-family; it is much, much more. 
a list of breeds so far known to be possibly-affected, is below.

with this mutation, it is possible to see extreme-reactivity AND timidity, in the same dog. 
there can be other problem-behaviors, as well.

a complete list of DRUGS to be aware of: 
busteralert.org 
if Ur dog is affected, *please share this with Ur vet.*

more info & tests:
Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Lab at the College of Veterinary Medicine 
the Vet. Clinical-Pharm Lab. at Wash. State Univ. Vet-Med College

*Breeds known so-far to be possibly affected include*:
Australian Shepherd, Std // 50%
Australian Shepherd, Mini // 50%
Border Collie // < 5%
Collie // 70 %
English Shepherd // 15 %
German Shepherd // 10 %
Herding-Crosses // 10 %
Long-haired Whippet // 65 %
McNab // 30 %
Mixed Breed, unk-ancestry // 5 %
Old English Sheepdog // 5 %
Shetland Sheepdog // 15 %
Silken Windhound // 30 %

*Vision and behavior: low-threshold for startle - * 
BARk-mag discussed a GSD study a couple of yrs ago; 
all of the reactive GSDs were near-sighted; non-reactive GSDs had normal
vision.

so... if Ur dog becomes UNcharacteristically reactive, suddenly or gradually, 
U might want to ask the vet to check the dogs eye-sight. what if its a cataract? 
glaucoma? a retinal problem? 
*without facts, U cannot act* - a vet-opthalmologist may be a tremendous resource.

all my best, 
--- terry


----------



## leashedForLife

this is *wendy*, a fellow-USA-apdt-nik, of All Good Dogs in Texas - 
MobileMe Gallery

another apdt-nik gave her a tip: 
WATCH *wendys* body-language - she turns to the table before her clicks; 
not only does that throw her timing slightly, the TURNING *predicts* the treat - 
not the *> click! <*  this muddies the dogs comprehension.

here is *betty laurin* teaching via back-chaining: 
YouTube - Betty's TLC Dog Training Back Chaining Put Toys Away.mpg.wmv 
she says: 
*_the fastest way to teach this trick to a green dog is thru back-chaining._* 
this is also *bettys* *first!* You tube video upload! :thumbup:
AND - *her Goldens very-first session*; she *learned* put the ball in the basket in under-60-secs. 
*watch for* latent learning just before she *groks the concept.*

happy training, 
--- terry


----------



## prateekkashyap

Never trust a dog... specially the aggressive one..
there is so much tension in their minds tension creates obsession obsession creates insecurity -- you can do PHD in dog behavior but its like impossible to tell their next step so best thing to follow is to avoid eye contact respect the breed body language is nice thing to follow but my point is never trust a dog and never feel over confident when communicating with a dog.


----------



## leashedForLife

prateekkashyap said:


> *Bold* added -
> 
> *Never trust a dog*... specially the aggressive one..
> there is so much tension in their minds *tension creates obsession* obsession creates insecurity --
> *you can do PHD in dog behavior but its like impossible to tell their next step* so best thing to follow is to avoid eye contact
> respect the breed body language is nice thing to follow but my point is never trust a dog and never feel over confident when communicating with a dog.


hey, prateek! :--) 
are U channeling a certain TV-presenter, perhaps? 

i respectfully disagree - 
YES we need to be cautious, particularly with dogs we have just met... 
but i have a very-good record so far at *not* mis-reading a dog, with very-few air-snaps or growls, 
and only ONE bite over several decades of handling dogs - with and without bite-histories.

Why? 
because i do not Want to Trigger a Bite - i want the dog as calm + low-stress as possible, *especially any dog with a history of aggression toward humans or other animals.*

IOW - 
i try very, very hard to read the dog accurately, and to avoid pushing buttons.

the website says that U are a trainer? 
how do U train if U literally *never* trust a dog?! :blink: this is a very strange concept, to me. 
building trust is Job #1 with pups - or for trainers, vets, groomers, etc, with any dog we meet. 
its an essential skill, IMO + IME.

cheers, 
--- terry


----------



## CarolineH

prateekkashyap said:


> Never trust a dog... specially the aggressive one..
> there is so much tension in their minds tension creates obsession obsession creates insecurity -- you can do PHD in dog behavior but its like impossible to tell their next step so best thing to follow is to avoid eye contact respect the breed body language is nice thing to follow but my point is never trust a dog and never feel over confident when communicating with a dog.


That may be your opinion and you are of course entitled to it.  It does not however make it 'fact'. 

I have dealt with many so called aggressive dogs over the years, made that way by humans failing them and one or two who were simply not well in their minds, as some humans aren't. But the most dangerous and unpredictable animals that I have ever dealt with stand on two feet not four. 

Your thoughts there seem to be those of a person unconcerned with learning about canine body language and how to effectively read it so you deny it's relevance. Well I learned about that subject years ago and it saved me from ever being bitten or attacked by any of the aforementioned dogs, even the large male Rottweiller in agony and covered in blood who had been slashed across the face with a razor by thugs. I still caught him myself and got him in the van unaided. The only reason I was not physically hurt by any of the unpredictable and dangerous humans I mention was because I was cleverer than they were and I thought faster on my feet. Reading human behaviour - now that IS a whole different ball game as humans lie all too easily, dogs on the other hand do not.


----------



## prateekkashyap

leashedForLife said:


> hey, prateek! :--)
> are U channeling a certain TV-presenter, perhaps?
> 
> i respectfully disagree -
> YES we need to be cautious, particularly with dogs we have just met...
> but i have a very-good record so far at *not* mis-reading a dog, with very-few air-snaps or growls,
> and only ONE bite over several decades of handling dogs - with and without bite-histories.
> 
> Why?
> because i do not Want to Trigger a Bite - i want the dog as calm + low-stress as possible, *especially any dog with a history of aggression toward humans or other animals.*
> 
> IOW -
> i try very, very hard to read the dog accurately, and to avoid pushing buttons.
> 
> the website says that U are a trainer?
> how do U train if U literally *never* trust a dog?! :blink: this is a very strange concept, to me.
> building trust is Job #1 with pups - or for trainers, vets, groomers, etc, with any dog we meet.
> its an essential skill, IMO + IME.
> 
> cheers,
> --- terry


oh god!! i never mean that why.. my point is dog is an animal we can learn their behavior but we cannot be 100% sure about their behavior.
if a person think reading books watching tv shows can give him/her a very good knowledge about dogs and their behavior i totally disagree with that.
in this world brothers are killing each other how can we trust a dog only because we knows their body language we only can guess...
but what if our guessing goes wrong ?

suppose u are in the middle of a grassy field suddenly you saw a rottweiler their sitting and relaxing according to their body language we can guess that dog is feeling fine and is relaxing but can attack u coz the territory belongs to him. its a guessing with good knowledge.
but if some a smart guy thinks "oh i know everything about dogs behavior and their body language i can skip the dog bite by following the rules i will go from their without making any eyecontact and i will walk like a very confident guy" - again its a guessing but i will change my way instead of challenging the dog u cant trust a dog if some1 says its a trained dogs still i will avoid walking from their... i have seen dogs in bomb squad biting their owners..
and believe me u can get fracture coz of dog bite.

and when it comes to dog training i have a 90% success rate.
i have a fine knowledge but i wont say i have masters in this area but still in 5yrs of my experience i only got bitten once by a L.A.B.R.A.D.O.R. and it took 1month to heal those punctures.

i am not pointing on anyones comment but i just wanted to say may be u ppl took everything in wrongway but i didnt meant that way i just wanted to say that its fine to have a knowledge about their body language but you cant trust them completely.

regards..
prateek.


----------



## leashedForLife

this dog is very fearful about a claw-trim - 
YouTube - viva biting nail trim 
BUT look at the angle when she jacks that knee out! *OUCH. *
H***, i would bite her, :lol:

same dog AFTER *pos-R training* (not shown) 
YouTube - viva nail trim no biting, after training 
Q - _does she look any more relaxed to U?_

now look at this dog - before + after on One clip: 
YouTube - CIA Case File: 'Tucker' Nail Trim 
this dog goes from extreme-defensiveness to *Co-operation - he is not restrained; 
he offers his paw, he can sit calmly, he is open-faced + engaged. * 
its a world of difference - and U get to SEE how it is accomplished, this is real-time video.

if U were a professional-groomer - which of those 2 dogs would U prefer to groom?  
cheers, 
--- terry


----------



## leashedForLife

Interesting Play Styles » TheOtherEndOfTheLeash

Play Styles & Status Seeking: Correlated? » TheOtherEndOfTheLeash

More on Play Styles; Dealing with Problem Players » TheOtherEndOfTheLeash


----------



## dodigna

very interesting first article Terry, I haven't got time to see the other two now, but just wanted to say how Will reminds me of Ray; he is also very uncomfortable with rough games indoors or in smaller environments like a small garden! He was also pathologically scared of dogs as a pup and he also relies on me to intervene in such situations to avoid getting into trouble!!! He also has gone through his aggressive phase and coming through it a better dog through all the work; it is funny how people some times can't understand that the surrounding environment plays an important part to a dog levels of tolerance towards other dogs, because they have just come back from a walk and had a great play fight outside doesn't necessarily means they would both enjoy the same game inside. I don't expect ever for Ray to be completely comfortable with playing with dogs in areas where he cannot run off, but he is only two and I am happy for him to make eye contact with me to let me know when he has had enough. 

When we are in parks and Ray wants out of a game by running to me and sitting close people tells me he is a scardy and I should let him stand up for him self!!!  Makes me mad, took months of work for him not to become reactive when another dog doesn't take no for an answer, I much rather he does that then "stand up" for himself!


----------



## leashedForLife

dodigna said:


> I don't expect ever for Ray to be completely comfortable with playing with dogs in areas where he cannot run off, but he is only 2-YO and I am happy for him to make eye contact with me to let me know when he has had enough.
> 
> When we are in parks and Ray wants out of a game by running to me and sitting close people tells me he is a scardy and I should let him stand up for himself!!!  Makes me mad, took months of work for him not to become reactive when another dog doesn't take no for an answer, I much rather he does that then "stand up" for himself!


oh, piffle - 
just tell the critics that if he were to act-out like an over-tired 2-YO and belt the other kid, it would be worse - 
human-kids don;t (usually) use their teeth on the playmate to get them to STOP.  Ray does the smart thing + asks for help - *without* having to whack the other dog(s) to end the game in tears. :thumbsup: good dog, Ray! 

its not his fault the human-audience doesn;t appreciate his efforts to avoid violence as a last resort; *mahatma ghandi* was seen as a fool, early in his attempt to achieve independence without bloodshed for India. later he was hailed as a genius  
keep it up, hun - Rays doing *great,* and both of U should take comfort in his tremendous progress. let the armchair-critics throw fruit, LOL.

i bow deeply to U and the pupster, *Well done! * :thumbup:

--- terry


----------



## leashedForLife

Dog communication - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Going To The Dogs Is A Good Idea: It's Not A Dog Eat Dog World | Psychology Today

http://tinyurl.com/2d3yn2


----------



## leashedForLife

CM/DW forces a known-fearful Maltese to submit to grooming, 
YouTube - Safe or Unsafe Handling of an Aggressive Dog 
and then watch THIS... 
YouTube - CIA Case File: 'Tucker' Nail Trim 
an Airedale with a long + colorful history of bites-with-blood - 
Tucker resists being restrained in any way; HATES being groomed; and bites with force. 
hes been rolled, pinned, poked, choked, etc, since he arrived at 8-WO-plus to his family, bought from a breeder.

which dog do U think *feels better* about being handled at the end of the clip? 
Tuckers is a real-time non-stop, except for taking him out to pee at one point, so he could relax; 
there is no editing of the action.

interesting, eh?


----------



## leashedForLife

ShirleyChong.com Homepage

*shirley* knows her stuff, and is careful about potential unintended consequences - 
see her KEEPERS for a terrific learning-library.


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Dog Whisperer: Jumping Border Collie

YouTube - #1 Layla - modifying 'dog jumping up' behavior-session #1 of 6

which one looks more effective? less stressful? more pleasant?


----------



## CarolineH

I know I am biased but I watched both clips objectively, watching the dogs rather than the humans and in the second clip the dog is calmer AND happier. The first dog is panting and lip licking. In the first case I would have simply walked away from the cupboard every time the dog started to jump up and repeated this until, the dog sat or stoof quietly. Then and only then would the lead have gone on. No tapping, no foot pushing and certainly no 'sending energy' tosh.

A couple of hours ago my hairdresser came to do my hair as my five dogs all kept their feet on the ground around her than trooped off obediently to their room whilst she did my hair. Her one dog does none of that and just goes barmy. Yet she is the CM fan?? Go figure!


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Control Pole Cam Video - Fearful Black Lab Caught

watch the body-language - he is fearful + conflicted


----------



## MerlinsMum

Another YouTube clip well worth watching:
YouTube - Learn to speak dog!


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Shelter Play Group Observations - dog body language


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 1

this is the * relaxed + happy * chapter of a *jean donaldson* lecture


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 2: Contrast Happy and Stressed

contrast: -happy- vs -stressed-


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 3: Fear

*fear... * and ambivalence


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 4: Threat

_*threat... *_

BTW - at the end of this chapter, the BC in the photo? 
the *perceived threat* - the thing that the dog feels threatened by - 
is coming from the dogs LEFT, and the camera taking the pic is to the dogs RIGHT - 
*jean makes an error in the mirror-reading of the dog.

because the dog is ===> looking to the left + the eye rolls that way, 
we see the sclera (white of the eye) on the near-eye at the rear-corner.


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 5: Contact Intention & Threat

some telling details


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 6: Fear & Aggression

*jean makes a verbal ERROR early-on - 
theres a short-lived balloon on-screen to explain, but she says that 
= U want the dog who will exert the MOST pressure, to bite U... =

obviously, that was not what she intended to say; U want to be bitten by the dog who will do the least-damage, 
which is the dog who will bite with the *least* pressure. 

and *its not about motive - its about FORCE. * whether the dog bites out of fear, anger, self-defense, turf invasion,... 
doesn;t matter WHY - it matters HOW * HARD.


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Dog Body Language Part 7: Ritualization

fight- and bite-inhibition means that dogs RITUALIZE aggro - 
with 11 heavy-shear scissors and 4 ice-picks in each dog-mouth, if they really *want* to hurt someone, THEY * WILL.

that relatively few humans, dogs or other living creatures are badly-hurt by dogs each year is more a testament to dogs, 
with their ritual-aggro, deference, bite-inhibition and tolerance, than it is a reflection of human intelligence 
or **our mastery* of dogs.


----------



## leashedForLife

What is Behavior Modification? | k9aggression.com

one-stop shopping for B-Mod - 
* sep-anx 
* de-coupling departure cues 
* DS / CC for reactivity 
* deference to human guidance - excellent for any dog, desperately needed for willful or independent sorts...  
* and more... Snoop around!


----------



## leashedForLife

eyebrows, eye-lines, lip-frames, shoulder-capes, chevrons, ear-tipping, tail-tipping, and other hair-color patterns are the 
underlining that helps wolves to communicate their emotional state and intentions, even from a distance, clearly - 
they make changes in facial expression more vivid to the observer, and accent body-language as well.

many of the facial and ear accents are beautifully illustrated here - 
Wayzata East Middle School - Wolf Ridge

a body-wide view of 4 or 5 wolves, the 2 in the foreground are gorgeous examples of body-language - 
Ralph Maughan's Wildlife Reports 
the dark amorphous mass in the background is 3 or 4 black wolves in a furious fight; one animal is down with tail (at lower right 
of the mass) curled defensively upward while s/he is pinned on their right-side; the small white things at lower-left 
are that rolled / pinned animals teeth, in an open-mouthed gape - Her? left-foreleg can be seen spearing up into the air, 
in the upper center of a mass of dark fur. 
since the caption notes that *one black female was substantially wounded*, odds are the wolf on the ground was the one badly-hurt.

for another good chevron, see this photo - TAIL is to the right ===> 
WARNING - 
don;t look at the head-end if U have a delicate stomach; this wolf was **snared** outside Denali Park, 
and got away; the snare became like an ingrown-collar, his neck is deeply wounded, and edema is obvious in his face. 
Snared Wolves Return To Denali Injured, Underscoring the Need For Expanded Protection 
he WAS successfully caught + stripped of this --- *but not until *after* he had survived the entire winter wearing it, 
suffering all that time, and the *Tourists* were due to return. Then they tranked him, and got it off... 
can;t have bad PR, what?* :thumbdown: the tourists might not come back.


----------



## leashedForLife

here are some useful links in recent research - (abstract) 
Elsevier

here is a quick-view of that 9-page article - 
Powered by Google Docs

and a 2009 overview of *dominance* in published-articles - 
_2009 Journal of Veterinary Behaviors review of dominance in domestic dogs. 
Written by John W.S. Bradshaw, Emily J. Blackwell and Rachel A. Casey _ 
Research on dominance in domestic dogs - Community Training Partners Program - Best Friends Network

the Welfare-In-Dog-Training coalition sums-up the history of the conflation - 
What′s wrong with using 'dominance&rs to explain the behaviour of dogs?

there are more links at the end of the above article. 
all my best, 
--- terry


----------



## leashedForLife

Turid Rugaas - Calming Signals Community


----------



## CarolineH

Turid is THE true dog whisperer.  Such a shame she is not promoted more.


----------



## leashedForLife

Canine Obedience Unlimited Dog Training 877-GR8-DOGG(478-3644)

notice the IACP + apdt-USA logos in the left-margin? 
notice the promise implied here - 


> EXCERPT - *bold added - *
> 
> _...not only *trains your dog quickly* but also teaches you how to *control your dog at all times even when off leash.*_


it produces fast-results, 
it gives off-leash control?

lastly, WATCH the short-demo - [1:30 length] - under the video-screen 
is a drop-down menu, scroll to the SHORT DEMO & click. 
* what is the dog wearing? 
[a shock-collar, for the uninitiated.] 
* _*what do U see in body-language? * 
where is the male Malinois's tail? 
what are his ears, mouth and rump doing? 
what does he Do when he has the ball in his mouth? [rapidly compress it, over + over +...]

i would dearly-love to see a salivary-cortisol level taken during this session... 
just to get a numerical measure of what my eyes tell me about stress-levels in an apparently-fluent dog._

sad, 
--- terry


----------



## ClaireandDaisy

I really don`t think most people need to watch a dogs body language to know that giving an animal electric shocks is cruel.


----------



## CarolineH

leashedForLife said:


> lastly, WATCH the short-demo - only 30-seconds - what is the dog wearing?
> [a shock-collar, for the uninitiated.]
> _*what do U see in body-language? *_
> _where is the M-Malinois tail? _
> _what are his ears, mouth and rump doing? _
> _what does he Do when he has the ball in his mouth? [rapidly compress it, over + over +...] _


Sad to watch. Lazy, lazy dog training!  Sadly also perfectly legal, even here in the UK.


----------



## leashedForLife

ClaireandDaisy said:


> I really don`t think most people need to watch a dogs body language to know that giving an animal electric shocks is cruel.


hey, claire! :--)

this dog [so far as i can see] is *not being shocked* during this demo - 
after all, he is very-fluent in these relatively-simple behaviors: a go-out over a directed jump; an off-leash heel for a short distance with tight turns; a signaled finish to heel position; fetch the ball [a reward, thrown after he clears the jump, etc.] 
so he isn't apparently *being shocked* - and is very good at what he does, there is no uncertainty in his performance; he KNOWS this stuff.

yet he shows a constant chain of behaviors that are telltales for anxiety: 
* sneezes 
* head-shakes 
* stress-panting with commissure a slit 
* tail tucked or low 
* rump down 
* ears airplane [almost constantly] 
* ears flatten briefly [when he makes glancing eye-contact]
* drooling 
* tight body: rigid, legs directly under or contracted range of motion 
* abbreviated shake-off 
and more.

so even tho he is not being 'trained' / shocked *Now*, his behavior is shadowed by the method used: 
he shows stress, IMO very significant stress, from his visual signals.

if we were there, other apparent signals would be visible - 
* i would bet his pupils are larger than expected, given the sunny conditions 
* if his handler walked him at heel across a paved or smooth surface, i would expect to see his footprints 
rubber-stamped in sweat - i'd say 50/50 odds or better, on that.

what is happening **now** should not be very stressful - yet it seems it is, and IMO, the reason has to do with 
the choice of training-tools, either when he was first introduced to these behaviors as a naive dog or pup, 
OR when the shock-collar was used to *proof* his already-fluent performance of cued-behaviors... 
*proof = get near-100% compliance to a first-time cue, under distraction.*

i think the association of shock with his training/proofing has left an almost ineradicable taint in his performance - 
and that, i think, is a shame. 
JMO + IME, Ur perception may not be congruent,  
--- terry


----------



## leashedForLife

YouTube - Basenji Cell Phone Reaction

i think i would find something that was less-stimulating...


----------



## ClaireandDaisy

I still don`t think I`d need to hurt a dog to know it was plain wrong though. 
The most useful thing to tell CM lovers is to watch the programme with the sound off. Once you lose the psychobabble, the story becomes very clear.


----------



## MerlinsMum

ClaireandDaisy said:


> The most useful thing to tell CM lovers is to watch the programme with the sound off.


THAT is what clinched it for me about 4 years ago. I read about the sound-off thing on Dogpages and tried it. Back then I had a young puppy, my first pup for ovcer 20 years, and was keen to watch anything about dogs regardless of what it was.

ONE mute episode of CM showed me the truth. I saw a lot of nervous and stressed dogs throughout. I didn't think I knew a great deal about canine language then.... but I recognised fear, stress and nerves, and realised I knew more than I thought I did.

I used to train dogs in the early 80's when it was still jerk-and-choke. Watching CM like that encouraged me to learn more about behaviour and positive training, because I knew straight away I was seeing dogs *much* more traumatised than the ones I'd seen years before with the old-school methods.


----------



## leashedForLife

ClaireandDaisy said:


> The most useful thing to tell CM lovers is to watch the programme with the sound off.
> Once you lose the psychobabble, the story becomes very clear.


hey, claire! :--)

i agree entirely - however... this is NOT an episode or out-take of CM/DW -

it is a promotional-video, 30-secs long, on a trainers website - 
and very respectfully, without watching it, U cannot discuss it. 

all my best, 
--- terry


----------



## Fyfer

> notice the IACP + apdt-USA logos in the left-margin?


Sheesh -- if we can't even trust APDT, then who can we trust?

I am increasingly despairing of finding a competent trainer who can actually HELP me with bringing out the best in my dog.

Honestly, it feels like we're better off working on our own.


----------



## leashedForLife

Fyfer said:


> Sheesh -- if we can't even trust APDT, then who can we trust?


whoops! 
this is the *USA-apdt*, hun - *Not the APDT-uk! * 
the APDT-UK members are 
* assessed before acceptance 
* some tools are NOT permitted at all

the USA-apdt has members who are *knowledge assessed* via the CPDT-test 
[Certified Pet Dog Trainer: written exam with X hours of experience prior to sitting the exam]; 
they have *full-members* who are simply voting-members who pay more for the privilege, like me - 
a member for more than 10-years. 
they have *associate members*, too. 
APDT Member Benefits

any member of the USA-apdt may use whatever training-tools or techniques they wish; 
we DO have members who use shock-collars, prong-collars, chokes, harsh-handling, etc, 
as the organization intention is to _welcome ALL trainers in an effort to encourage continuing education, 
dog-friendly methods, et al._ IOW - anyone can join; dog-friendly is promoted, but no tools or methods are banned from use.

from the USA-apdt website: 


> About the APDT
> _Mission Statement
> Promoting caring relationships between dogs and people by educating trainers in canine behavior and emphasizing professionalism and reward-based training. _


the USA-apdt was founded in 1993 - this Code of Conduct was adopted in 2003-4: 


> Code of Professional Conduct and Responsibility
> Code of Professional Conduct and Responsibility
> Adopted December 4, 2003
> 
> The APDT created the Code of Professional Conduct and Responsibility (the "Code") to set forth aspirations and guidelines for APDT members of all levels to provide outstanding service and pursue continuing education. It is the hope of the APDT that the Code will also provide owners of pet dogs with the confidence that APDT trainers are knowledgeable, caring and conscientious and will help them achieve their training goals through the use of dog-friendly training.
> 
> As a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), I will strive to:
> 
> * Provide honest, professional services of the highest standards.
> * Develop and apply training programs in line with the APDTs mission of advocating dog-friendly training.
> * Assess my own knowledge, experience and qualifications and work within my professional limits.
> * Continue professional development by reading relevant material; attending conferences, workshops and seminars; and pursuing other educational opportunities.
> * Treat all dogs and clients with respect, taking into account their physical and psychological well-being and respecting clients wishes regarding the training of their dogs.
> * Refrain from representing dog training and behavioral information as scientific, unless the information is derived from legitimate research.
> * Refrain from giving guarantees regarding the outcome of training, because there is no sure way to guarantee the cooperation and performance of all parties involved and because the knowledge of animal behavior is incomplete. This should not be confused with a desire to guarantee client satisfaction with professional services.
> * Respect the privacy of my clients and hold in confidence all information obtained in the course of professional services, unless otherwise agreed upon in advance. I will use discretion in revealing information regarding dogs displaying potentially dangerous behavior.
> * Incorporate what it means to be a responsible dog owner into training programs.
> * Be respectful of colleagues and other professionals and not falsely condemn the character of their professional acts.
> 
> While the Code sets forth aspirations, and not obligations, any APDT member who is found to have been found civilly liable for or convicted of charges involving:
> 
> * cruelty, abuse or neglect to animals or humans;
> * crimes against humanity including but not limited to any violent crimes (i.e. murder, kidnapping), assault or endangerment of the lives of others;
> * burglary, robbery, arson;
> * business fraud, plagiarism or copyright infringement, slander or libel, shall have his/her membership terminated immediately as provided by the APDT by-laws.
> 
> Member applicants who are found to have been convicted of any of these crimes will have their applications denied. Such applicants are welcomed and encouraged, however, to take advantage of the review and appeal process to present evidence of rehabilitation that may be sufficient to reverse the denial.
> 
> Furthermore, any APDT member who represents him or herself as an official spokesperson for the APDT without prior written approval of the Board of Directors shall have his/her membership terminated immediately as provided by the APDT by-laws.
> 
> The relationship between dog trainers and veterinarians must be cooperative for the benefit of dogs and their people. It is required that APDT members understand that medical diagnosis, prognosis, prescription of, or recommendations for, administering medication are all part of veterinary medicine and not the dog training profession. Any and all suspected medical problems must be referred to a veterinarian before beginning or continuing a relationship with a client.
> 
> Finally, if any member is found to be acting in a manner that is egregiously inconsistent with this Code or the general mission of APDT, APDT shall have the right to terminate his/her membership after a fair and reasonable adjudication.
> 
> Any member or member applicant who wishes to appeal the termination of his/her membership or refusal of his/her membership application and have APDT reconsider its action may do so by providing relevant information to a committee appointed by the Board of Directors. This committee shall review the relevant information in a timely manner and provide the member/member applicant with a determination based on its findings.
> 
> Adopted by Board action on December 4, 2003
> Effective date January 1, 2004


_

their position statement defining Dog-Friendly is here - 
Defining "Dog-Friendly" 



EXCERPT - *bold added - *

Through its vision and mission statements the APDT is committed to *using and advocating for training techniques that are dog-friendly.*

The APDT acknowledges that no generally accepted definition of dog-friendly currently exists.

Therefore, the APDT hereby defines dog-friendly as used in our mission and vision statements to mean:

*Dog-friendly training is training that utilizes primarily positive reinforcement; secondarily negative punishment, and only occasionally, rarely, and/or as a last resort includes positive punishment and/or negative reinforcement.*

Finally, *APDT membership is open to anyone interested in learning about training.*

Click to expand...

the idea of educating trainers in the use of dog-friendly, minimally aversive and minimally punitive techniques is great! :thumbup: 
however... plenty of recent members have joined with zero intention of broadening their techniques, 
scrapping the shock-collar, prong or choke, learning to free-shape behaviors with a clicker + rewards, etc; 
*they just want to post the logo, and keep doing what they have been doing... * thanks very much. 

i am afraid that trying to be-Everything to All-trainers is only resulting in a muddled *brand-name* 
in the perception of the general-public - who are, of course, our customers. 
*this is merely my personal opinion, and does not reflect the opinions of the USA-apdt board of directors, 
other members, etc; i have not attempted to survey my peers, etc.*

sorry for the confusion  i WISH the USA-apdt did assess before acceptance! 
- terry_


----------



## CarolineH

So really, the US APDT is like our British Institute of Professional Dog Trainers (BIPDT) in that any method goes more or less as long as you can pay your subscription fees.


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## luvmydogs

I went to a few obedience classes run by an APDT trainer here in UK and honestly, she was AWFUL. Didn't have a scooby.


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## CarolineH

luvmydogs said:


> I went to a few obedience classes run by an APDT trainer here in UK and honestly, she was AWFUL. Didn't have a scooby.


That doesn't meant they all are like that though. Did you make a complaint to APDT head office?

The UK APDT are always grateful for feedback, especially if a trainer is not actually as good as they have made out on their assessment. Without people complaining, the APDT won't be aware if someone is not up to scratch.


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## Guest

Just popping in to mark this page so I can come back tomorrow and read it. :thumbup:

Although I already know a great deal about body language its always nice to know more.:001_cool:


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## leashedForLife

CarolineH said:


> Did you make a complaint to APDT head office?
> The UK APDT are always grateful for feedback, especially if a trainer is not actually as good as they have made out
> on their assessment. Without people complaining, the APDT won't be aware if someone is not up to scratch.


yup! :thumbsup: how will they know, if nobody says so? 
they need pet-owners to tell them what is happening, who is good, who is WONDERFUL, who is *not*.

some trainers may know how to do it... but be very poor at *teaching pet-owners* how to train.  
teaching is not instinctive, IMO - it takes learning + practice, and we can always improve our teaching ability. 
i would tell the administrative-body about Ur experience, just as soon as possible - that way, 
hopefully, no other dog-owners have a poor training-experience.

_soonest seen is soonest mended...  _
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

shetlandlover said:


> Although I already know a great deal about body language its always nice to know more.:001_cool:


don't miss the *video links*, hun - 
there are some wonderful *workshops* in 10-minute increments, on fears, introducing dogs safely, etc.

there is also a video-log taken weekly of a highly-practiced JUMPER, a 2 to 3-YO Golden who had actually hurt 
several adults, as she launched like a missile and rugby-tackled her victims - 
its a great example of pos-R B-Mod. :thumbup:

enjoy, SL! 
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

CarolineH said:


> ...the US APDT is like our British Institute of Professional Dog Trainers (BIPDT)...
> any method goes more or less as long as you can pay your subscription fees.


errrmmm...  yes. 
so long as U are not **convicted** of animal-cruelty, neglect, other crimes, etc. 
~sigh...~

- terry


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## luvmydogs

CarolineH said:


> That doesn't meant they all are like that though. Did you make a complaint to APDT head office?


I know it doesn't, but I don't want people to think that they are the 'be-all-and-end-all' either. Yes, I did complain. I was told it would be followed up but as I didn't go back to the class, I'm not sure what happenened. I think she is still training, though.


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## leashedForLife

luvmydogs said:


> Yes, I did complain. I was told it would be followed up but as I didn't go back to the class,
> I'm not sure what happened. I think she is still training, though.


*good for U! :thumbup: i hope her performance has improved. 
at least APDT-uk was made aware of the problem - thats very important, IMO. *


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## leashedForLife

barking at the door is communication, too - the dog does not ONLY bark, 
they are usually hackling, charging, running from resident-human to the door, looking to us for advice 
or back-up, etc. tails are often raised + may be bristled; pupils are larger; commissures are drawn-back as a slit 
in fearful dogs, FORWARD in a U in an aggressive dog who may use force [bite] as soon as the perimeter is breached.

see Teaching Your Dog Not to Bark at the Door | Good Dog Happy Baby 
this how-to is from the author of Good Dog, Happy Baby - if this is a sample of the caliber of advice 
in the book, i would not advise purchasing it! :yikes: my word... 


> EXCERPT -
> _The zone defense involves defining *a zone around the inside of the door that the dog is not allowed within, once the owner touches the doorknob.* All that is needed is a *squirt bottle* that allows you to *shoot a jet-stream*, filled either with water or *a taste deterrent such as Bitter Apple, Bitter Yuck or a similar product. *_


WoW! where to begin... 
*A- * Taste-Deterrents are not tested for use in sensitive Eyes or Noses, etc - 
they are only known to be SAFE when they get in mouths, not other delicate sensory organs!

less politely, _*if U blind Ur dog using it in this fashion, U have no-one to blame but Urself.*_

*B -* Teaching a dog to stay X-distance from the door does not require an aversive - 
lay a mat at an apropos distance + REWARD the dog for going to the mat when someone knocks: toss a treat 
onto the mat! :thumbup: this is simple, safe, and does not undermine the dog's sense of trust in their human 
+ safety and security in their home. teaching the dog to STAY on the mat requires more persistence, but is 
easily accomplished by REFUSING to admit the person until the dog stays on the mat; this takes set-ups.

a tether Tethered to Success 
is an even-simpler way to keep the dog at a distance, so that a single person can safely open the door, 
accept a package, greet a visitor, and so on, without simultaneously trying to manage an excited canine - 
at a distance of 8 to 12-ft, most dogs stop barking readily after the initial excitement fades, and pairing TREATS 
tossed to the dog with a non-interactive person helps reactive or worried, non-social dogs make happy associations: 
visitor = goodies on my mat [not *visitor = strangers reaching to pt me on my head...* - 
a very intimidating behavior, for an anxious dog.]

whatever advice U may find, try to project what may be potential fallout from the advice - 
and avoid things that have the potential for serious emotional or even physical damage 
[like the excerpt above, IMO - good grief  ]

for safe handling, husbandry, and training, 
--- terry


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## leashedForLife

always willing to crowd em more, push em harder, be more intrusive, get up-close + personal footage... :thumbdown: 
YouTube - Helping Shylo get over her fears. (By Eldad Hagar)

please - *Don't Do This At Home.*

i am not saying he is badly-intended or physically-rough - far from it, he wants to help street dogs, abandoned, feral, 
and lost dogs - he wants to treat injuries + heal psyches. BUT... look at the position Shylo is in when he finally 
gets a hand on her, after 5-mins of chasing her around the open-yard!

she is hunkered and contracted with a roached-spine, tucked-tail, whale-eyes, her head is inches above her WRISTS, 
her shoulders inches above her head - she is like a weird ski-ramp, butt slightly raised, then everything goes 
downhill to the tip of her nose. 

she's so frightened, *her FACE has rigid tension-lines:* muscles as twanged as guitar-strings, under the skin 
of her muzzle + cheeks - and as should be apparent, he is lucky that she does Not Bite; this could have turned-out 
very, very differently, with serious injuries to *eldad and possibly euthanasia for the dog.

close-off part of the yard to limit her ability to run; slip a noose over her head vs force touch on her; 
DON't corner her so that she feels trapped; offer CALMATIVES before even attempting to catch or touch her; 
feed her with a teaspoon from a saucer: sit quietly + dole it out by the spoonful; let her hide in a crate, and approach 
the crate ONLY to drop food in from a distance, and ===> then leave.

be predictable: 
build her trust by LEAVING when she relaxes / makes eye-to-eye contact, holds her ground, etc, it all helps; 
she *acts* confident + relaxed, we reward it by giving her what she wants more than anything: *More Social-Distance!*

all my best, 
--- terry


----------



## leashedForLife

It's Mine! a.k.a Resource Guading | Dog Sense


----------



## leashedForLife

Dogs of all nations

check-out the 'Hungarian sheepdog', AKA *Kuvasz* on p-81 - 
that poor dog, she's terrified: tongue retracted, stress-panting, pupils wide, 
whale-eyes, rump slightly tucked + tail lowered into her buttocks, body tight, 
shoulders down and head is turtling toward her shoulders; her ears are back -

she stands frozen, but looks to her right across her shoulder, looking for a place to run, 
somewhere to escape or hide.  such a shame - her hair seems flattened to her body.


----------



## leashedForLife

notice how the body-language + vocal emotion + approach of the stooges, affects the dog's behavior - 
more movement, 
faster movement, 
high-pitched voice with excitement + speed, 
arms lifted toward face, arms up to chest - 
the more ANIMATION, the more the dog gets sucked-up off the floor.

*eyes on eyes and smiling* also pulls the dog up to jump on U.

so... if U look *directly* at the dog's face, *smile*, speak *to the dog* with loads of *animation*, 
move *excitedly* toward the dog, and *bring Ur hands + arms ^ up^ ... *
U have just created *a near-perfect storm* which will cause the dog to fail, excitedly jumping up.

_Don't Do That - _ teach the dog with all the exciting cues turned way-down or OFF - 
add these stimulating challenges One By One as U proof the now-fluent dog or pup, 
gently testing to see if the dog *really got the concept* - *this is not a sting-operation, 
where we set the dog up for a pratfall - this is teaching by humans, and dogs learning.*

KIKOPUP on teaching polite-greetings - 
YouTube - How to stop Jumping up!- clicker dog training

fellow apdt-USA *gail fisher*, All-Dogs Gym
polite greetings and the challenges of Beginners Class- 
YouTube - Polite Greeting

Timing in class: click the *Preferred Behavior* - 4-paws-on-floor - 
not the Lab turning to their handler for food 

treat-training without a clicker - 
YouTube - Polite Greetings - SIRIUS Adult Dog Training 
DUNBAR class with 2 sets of dogs + handlers; they move in opposite directions, and greet one another - 
NOTE - the Eskie is either dog-reactive or dog-aggro [bark-lunge and snap] and the Beagle-owner has poor leash-skills.

happy training, 
- terry


----------



## leashedForLife

hey, joe! :--) welcome... 


josephwiliams said:


> *bold added - *
> 
> A great website that I came across was Petvillas - For Purrs And Grrrs which offers
> *great free advice* and fantastic products that my Yorkie really loves.


i do not feel so confident of their *great free advice - * 

from their PUPPY PRE-SCHOOL page - Puppy preschool 
BTW - 
there is a TERRIBLE picture at the upper-left - a child attempting to HUG a Boxer - 
who is level with her face; the dog's body language is very clearly uncomfortable; he draws head + neck away, 
and looks off over her shoulder. *great way to get bitten! Don't do this at home.* 


> *bold added - *
> 
> _ Dogs love to please, so be clear with Benji about what's right and what's wrong.
> He'll soon learn what he can and cannot do to get your approval.
> 
> To make things easier for both of you, *choose a set of simple one-word instructions to use,
> and, where possible, a hand signal to accompany each one, and make sure that everyone
> in the household uses these exact commands and signals.*_


when did Benji learn *what that verbal cue* or hand-signal *means?* i missed that part 

if i yell directions to a Turkish cabbie in NYC, and his English does not include my terms, 
yelling will not make them clearer - it just makes them *louder.* 


josephwiliams said:


> That way, there'll be no confusion in Benji's mind about what's required of him.


how did we _"eliminate confusion"_ ? i see nothing about * teaching * cued behaviors - 
yes, dogs KNOW how to sit, lie down, roll over, sneeze, etc - we teach the dog to do them When we Want them. 
putting behaviors on cue is *training*, which is simply teaching --- like any other youngster. 


josephwiliams said:


> *bold added - *
> 
> *Reward the little chap when he does something right*, but *when he does wrong, use your chosen command
> to let him know, turn away from him and ignore him*, to make sure he realises that he's incurred your displeasure.
> 
> *Positive Reinforcement is acknowledged as a very successful method of training a dog about the do's
> and don'ts of life - *(see our section headed Positive Reinforcement).


*'positive reinforcement' DOES include rewarding desired behaviors - that's true. *
the *red stuff is not 'positive reinforcement'. 
'commands' are not used* to make the dog *'realize he has incurred your displeasure'.*

a No-Reward Marker is an "oops", and ONLY very-savvy dogs, not puppies, should be taught an NRM - 
they are not suggested for newbie-trainers in pos-R, as it's easy to shut-down dogs or pups inadvertently.

these mixed-messages leave me extremely skeptical of this websites quality of _"great free advice"_ - 
so far, it's pretty poor free-advice. 


josephwiliams said:


> *bold added - *
> 
> _Because *dogs are by instinct and nature pack animals*, they will regard you and your family as their pack, and *it will be important to let young Benji know exactly where he fits into this structure. Make sure that he knows who's boss and that you don't let him assume the dominant role in the family -* otherwise in the long run, you, your family and Benji will all end up unhappy. _


this is *definitely Not pos-R* and is also factually inaccurate - please see 
What′s wrong with using 'dominance&rs to explain the behaviour of dogs?

under PLAYING on the same *Petvillas* webpage - Puppy preschool 


> *bold dded - *
> 
> _For example, dogs play by using their mouths, and Benji will instinctively clamp
> his sharp little teeth onto whatever he's playing with - be it a toy or your hand!
> *Don't punish him for inadvertently hurting you - rarely will this be done in aggression - * but *use your chosen command to indicate that he's doing the wrong thing, remove your hand, and maybe substitute it with a nice chewy toy. *
> Here again, we suggest you read up our section on Positive Reinforcement. _


again, the *purple part* is great! that's fine... 
the *red part* is NOT correct - what 'command' means _"bad dog"_?! 
there is no COMMAND for *'don't bite' - even in Schutzhund, "AUS" means "let go", not "don't bite".*

where's this 'pos-R' section they keep referring to? 
Search for positive reinforcement - Petvillas.co.uk 
it is not listed on the left margin, with other articles - and the page titled "Good Dog!" is pretty bad, 
 huge dollops of pack-theory with vague praise-good-stuff added to it.

my recommendation? 
_use with extreme caution, or preferably, find safe and consistent advice elsewhere. _ 
there are plenty of better sources which are safe, not confusing, and reliable.

JMO, 
- terry


----------



## leashedForLife

http://tinyurl.com/y94fale

shape a dog-reactive dog to be calm with a _moving dog_ who passes by while the student-dog 
is stationary [remember - EVERYthing is harder re reactivity for a dog who is *not* moving: 
dogs become more vocal, excitable, fearful, etc, *when they stay in place.*

so one easy way to lower criteria / decrease the challenge? * get the dog moving.* it gives them something 
to think about, something to do, pay-attn to, displaces anxiety + stress with activity, etc. :thumbsup:


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## leashedForLife

with a high-degree of consensus and accuracy - not only do we -agree- what dogs are saying, 
we are most often, entirely correct in drawing inferences about "what that bark sounds like" - 
intruder alert? boredom? contact-calling / lonely? ... VOCAL sounds from dogs add another channel 
to the perception of _what this dog intends,_ or _ how this dog is feeling..._ - 
happy, sad, threatened, nervous, frustrated, _______

YouTube - Dog Communication with Humans - Horizon: The Secret Life of the Dog - BBC Two


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## leashedForLife

YouTube - Surprise Party - Clicker Training: helping the reactive dog

*pre-train at home under no distraction first - * then manage the reactive-dog and the environs 
to slowly introduce the reaction-triggers (the other dog, garbage-can, high-wheeled BIG diesel-truck, squirrel...), 
while keeping the dog *under threshold*. notice how the head-down hunt for treats, gives the reactive-dog 
a non-confrontational appearance to the dog passing by - *sniffing* is a displacement activity, which is calming 
to the dog sniffing, and reassuring to the dog observing that behavior. :thumbsup:

for more on *Triggers + Thresholds*, see 
Working with a fearful dog


----------



## Fyfer

There's a marvelous video I've just gotten hold of:

CALMING SIGNALS: WHAT YOU DOG TELLS YOU

It's by Turid Rugass and is amazing. A lot of the video is amateur, but clearly shows the signals dogs are giving. Superb.


----------



## CarolineH

Fyfer said:


> There's a marvelous video I've just gotten hold of:
> 
> CALMING SIGNALS: WHAT YOU DOG TELLS YOU
> 
> It's by Turid Rugass and is amazing. A lot of the video is amateur, but clearly shows the signals dogs are giving. Superb.


Yes I have got that one. Learning about the signals dogs give to each other is such a eye opener.


----------



## newfiesmum

I have learnt so much from this forum. Today when I was on the heath with the dogs and just walking back to the car, this fairly big labrador came walking towards us. He stopped when he saw mine. I put Joshua on his lead straight away as I don't like two of them going up to any dog and to be honest, he is easier to get hold of. Ferdie went to say hello, the lab was standing rigid, ears up, eyes round and I called Ferdie back and got him on his lead straight away. But the lab's owner said: he's ok, he likes other dogs. I certainly didn't think that he looked like he was enjoying the attention. Was I right?


----------



## leashedForLife

newfiesmum said:


> Ferdie went to say hello, the Lab was standing rigid, ears up, eyes round and I called Ferdie back
> and got him on his lead straight away. But the Lab's owner said: he's ok, he likes other dogs.
> I certainly didn't think that he looked like he was enjoying the attention.


maybe he *does* like "other" dogs - dogs other than Ferdie, that is.  
if the Lab looked that uncomfortable, i would not believe the owner - i'd believe the dog. 
*something* made him anxious about the situation, and better to get out of it altogether 
than take a chance of making him so nervy, he snaps at one of the Newfs.

i'd have done the same - for whatever reason, the Lab did not feel his usual, highly-sociable self - 
so just leave him be.  maybe next time U see him, he'll be all smiles + wags!

cheers, 
- t


----------



## newfiesmum

So glad I read it right, Terry. I have had dogs before whose owners have said they are ok, but even ones that are usually fine, sometimes feel threatened by my two.

Even the horses started neighing like made when I took them to the stables once!


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## leashedForLife

.
.
.

How Are Dog Bites Like Tetris?

live link, tested 11/19/16


----------



## daveyace

this can be very useful and thanks to sally youve been a big help :thumbup:


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## leashedForLife

daveyace said:


> this can be very useful and thanks to sally youve been a big help :thumbup:


hiya, dave! 
A - who's *sally*?

B - why don't U just put 
Email Newsletter MailPush Form 
and get it over with? SALES, SALES, SALES go in ADS, ADS, ADS - thanks.


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## leashedForLife

http://www.americanhumane.org/assets/docs/protecting-animals/PA-dog-postures.pdf

from the folks at American Humane: Protecting Children and Animals Since 1877


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## leashedForLife

frodos_electric_guitar said:


> I'd love to see some examples of this positive reinforcement method
> used on the types of cases Ceaser looks at. But if it's ok, I'd like to see for myself rather than be assured.
> If you have some videos to show that would be fantastic.


here is some behavioral explanation - 
Notes from Clicker Expo Part 2 (The Four Quadrants revisited) « Boogie's blog 
A, B, C is a common mnemonic in dog-training or any behavioral analysis - Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence. 
the animal wants a good consequence - if we grab a hot pan and burn our hands, we learn a painful lesson, 
and in future use a hot-pad. *manipulating consequences alters behavior.* 
we make the actions we want from the dog, *rewarding*; we eliminate rewarding consequences 
for un-wanted actions, *or* something the dog *wants* can be taken away: 
the game stops when the dog playing tug grabs our arm, not the tug. 
the dog who begins to bully or harass another dog at the park, is leashed for a minute, as a time-out - 
then released *with the leash dragging* in case they should do that again.

this sort of punishment - *take away desired things -* avoids inflicting physical punishment, which has fallout.

videos: 
a good example of simple counter-conditioning: _small dog fears strangers, 
toss treats away from stranger to give dog distance, let DOG approach stranger as dog relaxes - 
stranger does not attempt to approach ==> dog._ 
YouTube - Bandit Bites | drsophiayin.com

contrast Cesar's handling [confrontational] with Dr Yin's - 
YouTube - Safe or Unsafe Handling of an Aggressive Dog

a Univ of Calif vet-behaviorist on the use of punishing tools or punishment 
YouTube - Most dog bad behavior based in fear

Dr Yin working with a stallion who dislikes grooming & *hates* to be fly-sprayed -
YouTube - Stallion Training | drsophiayin.com 
notice he is FREE to go where he wants, no cross-ties, AND there is a mare in estrus one paddock over, 
with a narrow alley between; she flirts with him, but he comes back to train *on his own*, free choice.

a stranger-aggro dog at home, counter-conditioning with Dr Yin 
YouTube - Dog Aggression to People | drsophiayin.com 
IMO the owner lets Bambi get *way too-close* on that first visit, she has a bite-history, 
and she freaks out every time Sophia moves - even to reach for the bait-bag. 
but she does rapidly improve, despite being over threshold. :thumbsup:

dog is aggro/reactive to strange dogs [Yin] 
YouTube - Mollie's Bad with Other Dogs | drsophiayin.com

excerpt from lecture on *dog to dog aggro by Jean Donaldson:* 
YouTube - A Quick and Dirty Guide to Dog-Dog Aggression 
see the whole thing FREE by signing up at A Quick and Dirty Guide to Dog-Dog Aggression - APDT 2002 - Association of Pet Dog Trainers :: PROLibraries.com - Online Professional Education - Online Conferences - Professional Lectures - Conference Education 
this is her lecture on the results of her work with aggro dogs between 1993 & 1999 [6 years] 
and her collation of prognosis factors & likely outcomes.


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## leashedForLife

The language of dogs - a set on Flickr


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## leashedForLife

YouTube - Wolf dominance behavior

this must be the longest & most-mizrable 9-minutes of this young male's life - 
the old man postures, threatens, glares, snaps, hackles, straddles, stands over him for minutes at a time, 
& the young wolf cringes, offers repeated appeasement, licks his face & chin, turns his own face away while pushing 
Dad off him with fully-extended forelegs to get Pops away from his face & neck, tries to slink off with butt tucked - 
*none of it* stops the ongoing threats, every time he gets 10-ft he rolls over or lies down, & it starts again. 
ya gotta feel for him - the researchers believe he's trying to drive the younger male out, to disperse & hunt for a mate 
& territory of his own.

studs do this with colts - somewhere around 2-YO, they harass their sons till they quit the mare band, go off, 
& hook up with other young males to form bachelor bands. In elephants the cows chase-off young bulls - 
generally around 10-YO or so, but elephant-bulls generally don't get to breed before 25 to 30-YO.


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## leashedForLife

Signs of Stress in Companion Animals

symptoms of stress & sources of stress.


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## leashedForLife

YouTube - Fearful Dog learns to relax

watch the dog's body-language: does Calvin truly seem to become more relaxed? 
what body signals make U think as U do? [whether yes or no]

does he seem to be fearful of *more than* only humans he does not know, & dogs? 
what does his reaction to the environment look like? 
does he react to sounds, wind blowing, sudden movement?...


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## leashedForLife

YouTube - Cocker Spaniel Pup & Pittie Mix Pup playing at Avenue Barket

who is being apropos? who is clueless? 
if this were YOUR dog-daycare, what would U do to re-teach better social skills?


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## leashedForLife

http://tinyurl.com/3eqlvet 
PHOTO from Diamonds in the Ruff: a Golden showing C-shaped pucker, anxiety, facial tension, hard eyes, gums everted, etc.


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## DougGeneration

I've learned a lot from those links guys, thanks for sharing!
Let me check if I have one, but I doubt it though since you guys are on a roll~


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## leashedForLife

Canine Class for Aggressive and Problematic Dogs - Whole Dog Journal Article

excellent photos of dogs being helped to relax, & one bit-too-close encounter. 
also very informative copy from my colleague, Pat Miller.  go, TDF!


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## leashedForLife

anytime a dog is completely manic about something - visitors, traffic, the TV with animals on screen... 
*tether training* can help.

set-up the tether at a safe, non-reactive distance.  the tether can be *fixed* or *portable*.

Tethered to Success

*fixed -*
18-inches of bike-cable between spring-clips at each end is plenty; just screw an eyebolt into the baseboard, 
it makes a small hole which is easily filled if U rent, & clip the cable into it.

most big-box hardware stores will cut one to length & clam on the spring-clips for a very reasonable cost, 
cheaper than a pre-made one which of course, will LACK the spring-clips; if the clips lack a *swivel base*, 
put a swivel on one or both ends, between the cable & spring-clip.

if U absolutely don't want to screw in an eyebolt, do the same thing with a *portable tether - * 
2-ft length of 2-by-4, eyebolt in the middle on one wide side, clip the same cable-&-snaps to the eyebolt. 
open any interior door, put the wood-block *behind* it, slide the free end of cable *under* the door, 
close the door, & clip the dog to the cable.

to begin training, tether the dog when the trigger is NOT present... reward calm by tossing kibble when s/he lies down. 
have a MAT under the dog to keep it from bouncing or rolling away - & DEDUCT it from the daily-rations. 
 no fat dogs, :lol:

s/he can have a chew-toy, too - this is not punishment, just a place to contentedly hang-out. 
add the trigger in short bits, REWARD all quiet behavior... ignore the dog when s/he's a lunatic. 
if the TV is the problem, *mute the sound* if any predicting-type jingles begin. 
When s/he's an idiot, don't even glance over... in fact, U can SHUT-OFF the TV, 
& leave the room every time s/he barks, without saying one word or looking over... just off, leave.

come back when s/he's quiet, toss a kibble, turn on the telly... _lather, rinse, repeat indefinitely.  _

the same applies to visitors in the house, passersby on the street [put the dog out of visual range], etc. 
watch for lying-down on one hip [not in Sphinx, ready to pop up], soft eyes, relaxed open face, & so on.


----------



## lucylastic

Learning to read the body language of your own and other dogs is one of the most important things in both passive and acting training.


----------



## leashedForLife

Effects of dog-appeasing pheromones on anxiety and... [J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2008] - PubMed result

_JAVMA, 2008 Dec 15; 233 (12): 1874-82.
*Effects of dog-appeasing pheromones on anxiety & fear in puppies during training, and on long-term socialization.* 
Denenberg, Landsberg.
Source: North Toronto Animal Clinic, Thornhill, ON, Canada.

Abstract - 
OBJECTIVE:
Evaluate the effectiveness of DAP in reducing fear & anxiety in pups, & its effects on training & socialization.

DESIGN:
Randomized, controlled clinical trial. 
ANIMALS - 45 puppies from 12 - 15 weeks of age at the [start].

PROCEDURES:
Puppies... in puppy classes were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 groups: 
2 large-breed groups (1 DAP and 1 placebo group) 
and 2 small-breed groups (1 DAP and 1 placebo group).

The investigator, trainers, and owners were unaware of treatment allocation throughout the study. 
Classes lasted 8 weeks... owners [completed] a questionnaire before the first lesson & at the end of each lesson... 
[EDIT: that's 9 questionnaires per handler/pup.] 
Data collected included amount of learning and degrees of fear & anxiety for each pup. 
Follow-up *phone-surveys* of owners to obtain info on subsequent socialization of pups were performed 
*at 1, 3, 6, & 12 months after the classes* ended.

RESULTS:
Dogs in DAP & placebo groups... significantly [differed] re: degrees of fear & anxiety; longer & more positive 
interactions between pups, including play, were evident in dogs in the DAP groups. 
Data from... phone-surveys indicated that pups in DAP-groups were better socialized & adapted faster 
in new situations or environs, [vs] pups in placebo groups.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE:
*Compared with a placebo treatment, DAP was useful in reducing anxiety & fear in pups during puppy-classes, 
& resulted in improved socialization.*

PMID: 19072600 [PubMed]_

____________________________________

Efficacy of dog-appeasing pheromone in reducing be... [Vet Rec. 2009] - PubMed result

_Vet Rec. 2009 Jun 6;164(23):708-14.
*Efficacy of DAP in reducing behaviours assoc'd with fear of unfamiliar people & new surroundings in newly[-bought] puppies.*

Gaultier, Bonnafous, Vienet-Lagué, Falewee, Bougrat, Lafont-Lecuelle, Pageat.

Source
Phérosynthèse Research Institute, Le Rieu Neuf, 84090 St Saturnin-les-Apt, France. [email protected]

Abstract
[A] study... to determine the potential value of dog-appeasing pheromone (DAP) in reducing behaviours associated 
with fear of unfamiliar people & new surroundings in pups newly [bought] from a pet shop.

The study was triple-blinded, randomised & placebo-controlled. 
...66 pups (32 fitted with a DAP collar & 34 control)... & the... owners were contacted by phone 3-days & 15-days 
after they had [*bought*] the pup, to question them about... reactions to specific situations eliciting fear.

15-days after the treatments, *significantly fewer of ...the DAP-collar[ed pups] showed signs of fear when facing 
unfamiliar people at home &/or during outings*. This difference was irrespective of breed size.

PMID: 19502626 [PubMed]_

____________________________________

Evaluation of dog-appeasing pheromone as a potenti... [Vet Rec. 2003] - PubMed result

_Vet Rec. 2003 Apr 5;152(14):432-6.
*Evaluation of DAP as a potential treatment for dogs fearful of fireworks.*
Sheppard G, Mills DS.

Source
Animal Behaviour, Cognition & Welfare Group; Univ of Lincoln, Dept of Biological Sciences, Riseholme Park, Lincoln.

Abstract
30 dogs that showed signs of fear re: fireworks participated in an open clinical-trial to assess the potential value of DAP for the alleviation of their behavioural signs. 
The treatment was delivered continuously into... each dog's home with a... heated diffuser. At the baseline assessments, 
owners identified behavioural signs of fear that their dogs normally displayed re: fireworks, rated their frequency 
& assessed the overall severity of their responses.
These measures were repeated at the final assessment & owners also rated the change in their dogs' responses. 
There were significant improvements in the owners' rating of nine of 14 behavioural signs of fear... and in their 
ratings of overall-severity of the responses. 
*[DAP] was generally associated with a reduction in the intensity of fear but the... responses of individual dogs [varied].*
PMID: 12708592 [PubMed]_

__________________________________________

Efficacy of dog-appeasing pheromone (DAP) for amel... [Can Vet J. 2010] - PubMed result

_Can Vet J. 2010 Apr;51(4):380-4.
*Efficacy of DAP for ameliorating separation-related behavioral signs in hospitalized dogs.*
Kim YM, Lee JK, Abd el-aty AM, Hwang SH, Lee JH, Lee SM.

Source
Dept of Vet'y-Physiology, College of Vet-Med, Konkuk Univ, Seoul, Rep. of Korea.

Abstract
Dogs hospitalized in vet-clinics [often] show signs of separation-induced anxiety... The study assessed the effect 
of DAP on 10 typical separation-related behavioral signs in hospitalized dogs.

A DAP treated group (n = 24) was compared with a placebo group (n = 19). There was overall amelioration 
of the signs without 'vigilance' and 'anorexia' in the DAP-treated dogs; marked decreases were noted 
in elimination (P = 0.038), excessive licking (P = 0.005), & pacing (P = 0.017). The results suggest... 
*DAP could decrease separation-induced anxiety, distress, & fear in in-patients, & possibly facilitate recovery 
in hospitalized dogs.*
PMID: 20592826 [PubMed]_

____________________________________

Comparison of the efficacy of a synthetic dog-appe... [Vet Rec. 2005] - PubMed result

_Vet Rec. 2005 Apr 23;156(17):533-8.
*[Comparing] efficacy of DAP with clomipramine for Tx of separation-related disorders in dogs.*
Gaultier, Bonnafous, Bougrat, Lafont, Pageat.

Source
Phérosynthèse, Le Rieu Neuf, 84490, Saint-Saturin-les-Apt, France.

Abstract
67 dogs that showed... distress when separated from their owners (destructiveness, excessive vocalization 
& house soiling) & hyperattachment were used in a randomised, blind trial to assess the potential value of DAP 
in reducing... unacceptable behaviours.

For ethical reasons, there was no placebo group... the FX of DAP were compared with the FX of clomipramine, 
...regularly used to treat this... problem. 
Undesirable behaviours decreased in both groups, but overall assessment by owners indicated *there was no significant 
difference between the two... altho there were fewer undesirable events in the dogs treated with DAP, 
& administration of DAP appeared... more convenient.*

PMID: 15849342 [PubMed]_

____________________________________

Efficacy of dog-appeasing pheromone in reducing st... [Vet Rec. 2008] - PubMed result

_Vet Rec. 2008 Jul 19;163(3):73-80.
*Efficacy of DAP in reducing stress assoc'd with social isolation in newly[-bought] puppies.*
Gaultier, Bonnafous, Vienet-Legué, Falewee, Bougrat, Lafont-Lecuelle, Pageat.

Source
Phérosynthèse Research Inst, Le Rieu Neuf, 84490 St Saturnin-les-Apt, France.

Abstract
[A] study... to determine the potential value of DAP in reducing stress in puppies newly[-bought] from a pet shop. 
...triple-blinded & placebo-controlled. After their arrival at the pet shop, 32 pups were fitted with a DAP-collar & 34... with a control collar, according to a randomization protocol. 
...owners were [surveyed] by phone, 3 & 15 days [post-purchase] to obtain info re: the pup's integration into the family, & particularly... any signs of distress shown... when [the pup] was socially isolated.

All the isolated pups from the control-group vocalized during the first night. *Signs of distress, particularly vocalization, 
were significantly lower in the DAP group on day 3 & thru the rest of the study; vocalization [over]night ceased 
significantly sooner in this DAP-group. 
The differences were [seen]... in small, medium & large breeds. *
DAP-collars had no effect on the incidence of house soiling.
PMID: 18641375 [PubMed]_ 
_________________________________

i don't grok why they refer to BUYING as ADOPTING?! twits. 
however, i appreciate the data. [grump, grump...]

so that's 
- puppy-class to 12-mos later: socialization & rebound from novelty 
- unfamiliar persons & places, short-term [fortnight]
- known sound-phobia [fireworks] 
- separation-distress in hospitalized dogs 
- DAP vs clomipramine, Tx of sep-anx in the home 
- social-isolation in newly-bought pups [short-term]

that is a broad range of symptoms & specific triggers; and every one of these was a 'related subject' on a single 
page of one abstract on PubMed - it's not as tho i hunted thru a dozen journals to find a few successes. :001_tt2:


----------



## RKD

leashedForLife said:


> a rich source of links...
> Body Language in Dogs: how to read what your dog is saying, from Stacy's Wag'N'Train


_Signs of aggression include: Stiff legs and body; growls, lowered head; ears "pinned" back close to the head; eyes narrow (but not squinty) and fixed intently or rounded and with whites showing; lips sometimes drawn back in a snarl; "hackles" (hair along back, especially over the shoulders and rump) up and erect; tail straight out, and intense stares (pupils may be fully dilated or shut!)._

Hi, a quote from the above site. VERY interesting! 
Although my puppy comes to me and offers his tug toy, nudging up to us, tail wagging, , mostly growling (Rottie assured me this growling in play is normal) me and my husband have noticed for a while, the ears pinned back and certainly the whites of his eyes - is this still play? 
I have just got his tug toy back out (1st behaviourist advised to remove it) and I am playing the 'leave' command with him, his tug toy and treats.


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## leashedForLife

RKD said:


> Altho my pup comes to me & offers his tug-toy, nudging up to us, tail wagging, mostly growling (Rottie assured me
> this growling in play is normal), me & my husband have noticed for a while, the ears pinned back & certainly
> the whites of his eyes - is this still play?


ears flattened can also be appeasing [worry] OR soliciting - play, attn, social contact, etc.  
U have to look at the whole dog - is his body loose & curvy, or tall & rigid?

again, the whites of his eyes being visible can be mere excitement - he is 'pop-eyed' in anticipation :lol: 
the eyes open very-wide, revealing a crescent of sclera, under adrenaline - which can be fear, arousal, surprise...

my Akita used to hackle as a pup very easily, whenever she was excited; it could be anything, the sight of ducks 
[which she for some reason adored], running with a toy, seeing an approaching friend,... BOOM!, there went 
her hackles, up in a Mohawk.  anybody who didn't know her might think it was aggro, when it was sheer delight.

take a look at the GROUP-page photo for *Progressive & Positive Dog-Training & Behavior* sub-forum; 
the little BC-pup is launching with a snarl at the choc-Lab adult  See the eyes, flashing whites? lip-lift, 
showing teeth? head flung up & back, presenting the teeth upward? All aggro signs. 
but look at the loose wiggly body, the Lab lying-down & relaxed... this is wild play, not an assault.


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## leashedForLife

Partial seizures: 
Partial seizures are also called focal seizures & as the name indicates, the electrical storm affects only a part 
of the brain. A partial seizure may stay localized or expand to the whole brain & cause a tonic-clonic seizure. 
Because the seizure starts in only a part of the brain, an underlying disease or injury is highly suspected. 
A partial seizure may remain localized or spread to other parts of the cerebral cortex, producing 
a sequential involvement of other body parts.

Partial seizures are classified as simple focal-seizures when consciousness is preserved & complex focal-seizures 
when consciousness is altered. Any portion of the body may be involved during a focal seizure, depending 
on the region of the brain affected.

In a simple partial-seizure, the area of the brain that is affected is the area that controls movement. Usually the face 
is affected, resulting in twitching or blinking. This is usually limited to one side of the face. If the seizure spreads, 
other parts of the body *on that same side* will be affected. The dog is usually alert & aware of surroundings.

A complex partial-seizure will originate in the area of the brain that controls behavior & is sometimes called 
a psychomotor seizure. During this type of seizure, a dog's consciousness is altered & s/he may exhibit bizarre behavior 
such as unprovoked aggression or extreme irrational fear. S/he may run uncontrollably, engage in senseless, 
repetitive behavior, or have fly-snapping episodes where s/he appears to [bite] at imaginary flies around [her/him].

AGE of ONSET:

Under each age category (when seizures first occur), the possible causes (etiology) are approximately listed, 
with the most-likely first & the least-likely cause last.

LESS THAN 1 YEAR OF AGE

*Anomaly* of the brain: 
hydrocephalus [AKA 'water on the brain', fluid pressure, usually at birth].

*Inflammatory*:
Infectious or Viral: 
canine distemper; parasitic; bacterial; fungal

*Immune mediated*

*Metabolic*:
Hepatic - portosystemic shunt; 
Autoimmune thyroiditis (early stage: TgAA positive); 
Hypoglycemia; 
Electrolyte disorders

*Toxic exposure or reaction*: 
Single or combination vaccines; 
Lead; 
Drug related; 
Other exposures

*Trauma*: 
Acute -or- Delayed

*Degenerative*: 
Storage disorders

*Primary*: 
Idiopathic Epilepsy ('idiopathic' = cause unknown or not determined) 
____________________________

_thanks to Sled-Dog_Hotel for the text_


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## leashedForLife

_again, thanks to Sled-Dog_Hotel for the text below._

_____________________________________________ 
POTENTIAL SEIZURE TRIGGERS

Most seizures seem to occur spontaneously; however, we've found certain chemicals & emotional 
stress-factors can trigger a seizure. Any kind of stress to your dog is a potential seizure trigger.

The Guardian Angels have put together a list of things that may trigger seizures in some epis*. 
Remember, not all triggers will apply to all epis. In order for something to be considered a seizure trigger, 
the time between trigger & seizure is within 30-hours except in the case of vaccinations, which can be 
up to 45-days [post-vax].

To reduce seizures, please pay attention to the list below and see if you can avoid a seizure.

Stress Factors:
* Changes in routine - 
construction, visitors, new family members, etc; return to school after summer, holidays, vacation, 
weddings, adoptions/ births/ deaths, redecorating, Daylight-savings Time... 
* Being left alone
* Car Rides
* Visits to the vet
* Thunderstorms
* Changes in barometric-pressure - up or down
* Extreme cold weather
* Flashing lights [TV, camera, Xmas trees, neon, decorative lights, *lightning* during storms]
* Angry voices
* Loud arguments between people (angry environs are the worst kind of stress)
* Fatigue
* Nervousness
* Anxiety
* Too-long between meals
* Prolonged excitement
* Any changes, sudden, subtle, radical, etc. (food, environment,...)

Medications:
* Vaccinations
* Heartworm - preventives or treatments
* Flea &/or Tick preventives
* Some prescription medications

Yard & Garden:
* Lawn Treatments: fungicide, herbicide, pesticide... 
* Fertilizers
* Herbicides
* Insecticides
* Bee, Wasp, Snake or Spider venom
* Toad poisoning
* Cedar shavings (check *dog beds* or pocket-pet bedding)

Household factors:
* Scented candles
* Perfume
* Loud music
* Cigarette smoke 
[EDIT: potpourri, incense, oil-painting hobby?, ANY strong odors]

Household Products:
* Pine-Sol or other cleaners with pine-oil or scent.
* Kerosene for lamps
* Camphor
* Eucalyptus
* Borax or Boric Acid (sometimes used to treat fleas or kill roaches)
* Deck & wall stains
* Polyurethane fumes
* Paint fumes

Foods and Spices:
* Turkey (for some dogs)
* Caffeine
* Walnuts
* Moldy cheese
* Rosemary Oil
* Saffron
* Sage
* Foods with Ethoxyquin, BHA or BHT
* Treats with Ethoxyquin, BHA or BHT
* Rawhide Treats
* Pigs feet
* MSG (sometimes labeled *natural flavoring, smoke flavoring*, etc)

* Changes in *dietary chloride* (salt-content) intake - 
(a change in food, treats or water) for dogs on *Potassium Bromide* 
_______________________________

'epis': slang abbreviation for epileptic-seizure sufferers. 
'Leptos' is another slang-abbrev, AKA epileptics.


----------



## leashedForLife

How to Survive Puppy Teething and Nipping | Karen Pryor Clickertraining

live link, checked 11/19/16
.
.


----------



## leashedForLife

Tug of Peace - 
go DEADWEIGHT: hang yer whole arm off the dog's jaw like a flour-sack. Don't say anything or look at the dog, 
look ===> away or Down; WAIT. Sooner or later, even the most-intense dog loses interest in a one-sided game 
with a sack. 
each time the dog drops it, *promptly* Re-present it excitingly for another round - over time, raise the intensity: 
lift the dog using the tugee, shake or swing the tugee [and dog], etc. 
over time, the dog DROPs on less & less obvious a 'deadweight' cue, until just a second's pause = Drop. 
adding a LOOK-AWAY to the pause is even better - look -At- the dog's eyes while tugging, glance off to 'drop'.

add the LABEL 'drop' *as the dog does it* at least a dozen times, before even attempting to use it 
*before* the dog does it, as a cue - Always combine it with deadweight as a tactile clue; 
remember Not to engage with a challenging eye-to-eye stare while expecting her/him to *drop the tug*.

like everything else, the dog should perform the DROP 4 times of 5 before the *label* 'drop' is applied, 
& it cannot be considered a *cue for an action* until the verbal alone gets the dog to drop, 4 times of 5.

80% compliance is the gauge for raise criteria, add a label, use a cue, proofing stages, & so on.

_Super-Tug - _
for a portable emergency distraction, visible RECALL object/cue, or other focus exercises: 
find a toy that will become the dog's obsession; choose something long-enuf to keep their teeth off Ur hand, 
and large-enuf to be visible from a fair distance if waved overhead or shaken invitingly at arm's-length. 
a ball on a rope, a knotted rope, a firehose bumper, a FLAT soft-toy [un-stuffed bunny, other critter], 
a rubber figure-8, a small rubber tire on a rope... it must be sturdy, NOT hard like a bone but grippable. 
[we don't want chipped, cracked, or broken teeth].

begin by playing with the future-SUPER-tug *alone.* yes, U read it right: 
toss it in the air, shake it, laugh out-loud, talk to Urself... don't be shy, really get into how wonderful this toy is. 
then _*put it away*_ in an inacessible, special place - this toy will _*never*_ be left out for self-play, chewing, tug between dogs... 
it is always & forever for tug between a dog & human only, & very very special. :001_tt1:

U can start with just a few seconds, & build to 10 or 15-seconds of playing ALONE with this marvelous toy. 
this takes a few days - 2 or 3 - & by now the dog should be twitching with excitement when U approach the door, 
drawer, high hook or shelf, etc, where this fantastic toy lives - sadly out of reach of all dogs; their eyes should spark 
when they see U reach for it, U can name the toy - _"ooh, let's get the Killer-Rabbit down, shall we?..."_ etc.

then comes the _*AWESOME day*_ when the dog is allowed to play tug with it! 
ooh, how exciting!... make it short n sweet, put it away again. Take it out for a few seconds & play alone, Etc. 
within a week or 2, alternating play WITH the dog & play selfishly alone, with lots of Oscar-worthy acting thrills, 
the dog should be near-manic about this toy. Start carrying it on walks - if U slip it in a pocket & the rope dangles, 
*teach the dog* that mugging it, even sniffing it, sends the toy back home; this happens BEFORE U take it along.

_cautionary tale - _
a fellow-trainer damn-near had her pants ripped clean off by an over-excited AmBull who glommed onto a super-tug 
in her back-pocket & refused to OUT - this looked funny to onlookers, but she got pretty bruised & hurt her arm, 
trying to reach behind herself & get the tug out while being yanked all over like a ragdoll, so DO proof - walk with the toy 
dangling in a belt-loop, hanging in a holster, & so on, inside the house, in the garden/yard, etc, before 'on the road'.

OK - U have an obsessed dog at home; now build an obsessed dog AWAY from home: call from mild distractions, 
reward with a wild game [teach Tug-of-Peace *first* so U never have to argue for possession - remember 
no Eye-To-Eye challenging stares over the OUT], get the thrills going, lift & swing or shake the dog's forehand, 
just a few seconds... back in the pocket / fanny-pack / holster / belt-loop, send the dog off to sniff & play. 
*use a long-line* if their recall is shaky; U can attach a name to the object or the game, Yell TUG & shake 
the toy animatedly overhead or out to the side [shake it in front of U & the dog can't pick it out from background], 
or just say the dog's _Sacred Name_ & display the Super-Tug invitingly.

build the intensity of distractions slowly, til the dog's Name & the sight or sound of the tug shaken or squeaked 
can call the dog off a deer that's in full-flight, wig-wagging a white tail excitingly, or away from mild play 
with a well-known buddy - SEND THE DOG BACK to play / sniff always in the early stages, don't sour the response 
by leashing the dog when they come in: or play tug BEFORE leashing them up, or leash the dog AND THEN play tug, 
AND THEN release the dog... Don't make coming in for the Super-Tug a sign the fun is over.

U now have a visible CUE which when waved about or squeaked can bring Ur dog flying across a soccer-pitch 
or 50-yards down a woodland path toward U, with ease. :yesnod: this is _*power*_ - don't abuse it.


----------



## leashedForLife

Dogs In Canada Magazine -- » Colour commentary 1: What

Dogs In Canada Magazine -- » Colour Commentary 2: Does good health and temperament have a coat colour?

Dogs In Canada Magazine -- » Colour Commentary 3: DNA testing for coat colour

Donaldson - Dogs In Canada Magazine -- » Coat colour and behaviour

Dogs In Canada Magazine -- » Coat colours


----------



## leashedForLife

Public-Service Announcement - 
YouTube - ‪Dog Bite Prevention PSA I drsophiayin.com‬‏

Article: 
Dog Bite Prevention | Animal Behavior and Medicine Blog | Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM, MS

a free k9 body-language poster of fear & stress in dogs - 
Dog Bite Prevention | Animal Behavior and Medicine Blog | Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM, MS

article: 
Sophia Yin: Dog Bite Prevention Week: A Time to Take Responsibility for Dog Bites

why kids are bitten more-often... 
Why Dogs Bite Children: A Lesson in Preventing Dog Bites in Kids*|*Victoria Stilwell Positively

article - 
How to Greet a Dog | Animal Behavior and Medicine Blog | Dr. Sophia Yin, DVM, MS


----------



## leashedForLife

kat&molly said:


> ...I do shout... *I have to be loud* to be heard.


 actually, no - U don't. Dogs are perfectly capable of hearing over their own or others' barking. 
additionally, by *yelling* it seems as tho U're joining in, & it adds more excitement, 
not less; it's certainly not a calming influence, at any rate. :wink:

rather than yell, whisper - literally. most dogs, just like most people, will listen intently 
in order to hear what U are whispering. I often use _'psst...'_ as if i'm trying to get someone's attention 
in a crowded theatre, or if they know the meaning [it does have to be *taught*], i'll whisper, _'shhhh...'_

one sound that i often use as a conditioned interruptor for barking-dogs is the loud crinkle of a chips-bag; 
i teach it BEFORE i use it. I wait till the dogs are in another room, or i *go to* another room, 
& rustle the bag; i do nothing else, if they don't respond, i let it go & try again in a few moments. 
*eventually they'll come investigate, if only out of curiosity or sheer boredom.* crinkle the bag, 
feed each dog a treat *in the approx order of arrival - * the only really important one is the Last Dog In, 
who has to watch everyone else get treated first. 
give them 5-mins to think about that... & do it again.

TIP: 
i use an empty snack-size chips-bag, & i put the treats to be given inside it. 
the treats are extremely-good, & no bigger than a pea - often half a pea.

in just a couple of days, the crinkle of a chips-bag will bring instant silence & eager jostling to be first, :lol: 
they can hear it over or thru ANYthing, including a massive thunderstorm - i've used it to break the anxiety 
& tension over that next startling *BOOM!*


----------



## leashedForLife

Hands Off My Bone! : The Thoughtful Animal

a study of growls & their social meaning. 


> _
> The researchers recorded dog growls in three contexts:
> food guarding from an unfamiliar dog (Figure 2, panel A),
> playing tug of war with an unfamiliar human (Figure 2, panel B),
> and being approached in a threatening manner by an unfamiliar human (Figure 2, panel C).
> 
> At least 10 growls were recorded in each recording session.
> A total of 36 dogs were recorded growling, with controls for age, weight, height, breed, & sex._


that's a 360 growl sample, spread over 3-dozen dogs. Then they played the recordings to one dog 
*with no other dog present* to see how the listening dog reacted to each type of growl. 


> _
> When the food guarding growl was played to the dog,
> 11 of 12 dogs withdrew from the bone within 15 seconds.
> Compare this to only 2 of 12 withdrawing upon hearing the threatening stranger growl,
> and 4 of 12 withdrawing upon hearing the play growl.
> *7 of the dogs who heard a food-guarding growl stayed permanently away from the bone*,
> compared with only one each in the threatening stranger & play growl conditions.
> Even though there wasn't actually another dog present in the room! _


 clearly, the dogs are communicating something more than 'just a growl'. 
it carries emotion & intentionality.

try the audio-samples & see if U can hear a difference between the RG-growl & suspicious-stranger growl.

3 more articles on growls - 
Dealing With a Growling Dog

Understanding Dog Growling - Why Dogs Growl

Dog Training for Dog Growling - Dealing With A Growling Dog


----------



## dog fence

Great ! its really informative Some info are new for me .....


----------



## Wags

Cleo38 said:


> I've just read a few sections from the links & can see I have alot to learn. Can anyone recommend a good book for me ....(I much prefer to read from a book than the screen!)


Hi,

I ready a book by Brenda Aloff called Canine Body Language and would really recommend it. I have spoken with Brenda Aloff since via email and she is always willing to answer questions, which is always a good thing!


----------



## lois135

These links were great  I was worried about this too with my dog. I went to dog training classes on a six week course and we covered body language which was great. It was really helpful in developing my relationship with my dog!! It's definitely an important part of bonding with your dog and helping with their development , and I think so many people just don't seem to take it into account. As well as looking online and reading books, I would recommend classes in your area if you can get any cause they really helped in my case!...I'm from Croydon and this is where I went: Dog School
Good luck with your dogs everyone!!


----------



## newfiesmum

So this morning I met this woman who has three greyhounds, but today she had an extra one, all muzzled up, double lead, that had just come into rescue. He was very reactive to the other dogs and she kept saying: He's being dominant and jerking his lead. This is who they gave him to socialise? Dog had his bum down and tail between his legs every time one of the others went near him.

I kept telling her he was scared, but it took about ten minutes of him snarling at the other dogs before she finally saw that this was the case.

He was ok with her dogs, apparently fine with other greyhounds, but strangely enough he was ok with Diva as well. He actually wanted to sniff her bum, and this silly woman kept pulling him away! The one dog that he was ok with and she's pulling him away.

I gave up in the end and walked the other way.


----------



## leashedForLife

lois135 said:


> These links were great  I was worried about this too with my dog.
> 
> *I went to dog training classes on a six week course and we covered body language which was great*.
> It was really helpful in developing my relationship with my dog!! It's definitely an important part
> of bonding with your dog and helping with their development , and I think so many people just don't seem
> to take it into account. As well as looking online and reading books, I would recommend classes in your area
> if you can get any[, be]cause they really helped in my case!...
> 
> I'm from Croydon and *this is where I went*:



nice segue into the SALES PITCH, there, Lois -  How much does Jeff offer for referrals?

i'd also be very leery of someone who lists ZERO qualifications or affiliations whatever, yet who claims to be 
_"the k9 obedience *experts*!"_

what makes Jeff & his 'team' experts in dog-behavior & training? 
Who are their role-models or mentors? WHY aren't they affiliated with any professional-orgs?...

way-more Qs than As, & i'd shun them, myself; an APDT-uk member has been assessed for skills, 
has specific limits on what tools & methods may be used, & has a complaint process if the customer 
is not satisfied, or if the trainer *violates* the APDT-uk policies on tools & techniques.

Please go sell that local-trainer somewhere else, eh?... :thumbdown: thanks.

EDIT: also interesting: 
he & his 'team' list NO qualifications, NO methods nor which tools are in use, but choke-chains are 
on many of the dogs in the photos heading the website pages: a fur-saver long-link on the GSD-pup, 
a small-link choke on the piebald JRT-mix, & others.


----------



## hahgiwoofa

excellent thread, really interesting

Thanks x


----------



## russelgrane

It do matters and also essential, because dog does not cleverly understand languages but they do understand the actions of the body. By this they are able to do their choirs and follow its masters commands.


----------



## leashedForLife

russelgrane said:


> It [does matter] & [is] essential, because [a] dog does not cleverly understand [spoken] language,
> but they do understand the actions of the body.


Russel, 
this entire thread is not about *dogs* understanding *humans -* it's about the need 
for humans to understand Dog Body-language - as in the title.

People ignore, misinterpret, & simply don't see many of the dogs' most important signals; 
dogs try desperately to communicate, & fail - because we humans are ignorant of dog body-parl.

That's what we need to fix: the huge gap in our attention to, & understanding of, dogs' body-language.


----------



## hahgiwoofa

I bought this book last week, and while some of it is a bit obvious to experienced dog owners, I found it really interesting, only downside photos are in black and white.

Sorry if it's already mentioned

Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide: Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog
Brenda Aloff


----------



## leashedForLife

hahgiwoofa said:


> *'Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide
> Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog'*
> by Brenda Aloff


love it - I have a copy, too. :thumbup1:


----------



## Bagrat

Just wanted to say thanks for this thread and the fact it's a "sticky". I keep coming back to it and following your super links Leashed for Life.


----------



## leashedForLife

Bagrat said:


> Just wanted to say thanks for this thread and the fact it's a "sticky".
> I keep coming back to it...


i'm really happy it was made a sticky - k9 body-language is so crucial to understanding dogs, 
preventing problems, or finding a way out of problems that arise. :yesnod: Lost of folks offered links, 
articles, video-clips, & more - it's been a tremendous help. Thanks to everyone! :thumbup1:


----------



## IncaThePup

I 've been deaf since age 16 so relied entirely on reading people's body language for most of my life.

We had pet dogs at home so it didn't take me long to learn to 'read' our dogs either.

For some reason once I lived on my own and had my first dog, people felt a need to take over and tell me how I should be training her cos I was 'too relaxed' with her. I was taken to a training class on a common where guy was ex-police and they used choke chains. I didn't like it but was told I must perserve and they realise it would be difficult for me cos I was deaf. 

The handler agreed to physically demo each move rather than just shout the instructions as he went along but it wasn't that I was scared of him shouting or the big dogs that were there..my dog's body language was so stressed out.

We did leave and I decided I knew what was best for my dog and shouldn't just let hearing people interfere cos they felt they knew better than me. I roped in afriend who already had a hearing dog and a manual of training exercises she had to do with her new dog. we got her manual photocopied, I used a clicker instead of the squeaker things they were trained with and managed to teach Inca to come and get me when my phone rang, and tell me when doorbell rang or they knocked instead.

Our relationship improved greatly, she was a bright dog and even worked out to give danger signal when the smoke alarm had failed to go off but the kitchen was filling with smoke and saved us both from becoming overcome with smoke (I'd fallen asleep on sofa after dinner and some oven gloves had dropped onto a ring I had left on electric cooker). 

By the time I was having mobility problems Inca and I could read each other like an open book and training her to do what I needed help with was really easy - I'm sure her collie intelligence helped alot too, but I believe it was the fact that we communicated so well non-verbally and with signed commands as well as spoken that has given us such a strong bond. 

The downside was she got seperation anxiety bad when I had to go out for appointments to leave her as had loads of hospital appointments/physio etc at first. But she's much better with that now.


----------



## Annmarievictoria

I found this article and photos very helpful in picking up even subtle signals. Thankyou.


----------



## leashedForLife

_brought to my attn by Ouesi... thanks, hun!_

What your dog is desperately trying to tell you! www.thefamilydog.tv - YouTube

this short educational clip uses still photos to illustrate dogs' body-posture & facial signals, 
indicating their comfort-level with the situation, or their stress-level when worried or scared.
Simple & clear. :yesnod:


----------



## leashedForLife

Orcas chasing diver & dog (Matheson Bay) - YouTube

Notice the dog's body-parl & behavior:
he's clearly feeling threatened in the water while being chased,
but he also stands to bark & wag [wag = arousal, not necessarily 'happy'] -

once out of the water, he's undecided about confronting the beast, 
or going back into the water... which could be disastrous. Orca DO kill & eat seals which can be 5-times 
the size of a 60# Lab, easily - one orca can readily kill & eat an 8 to 10-ft long seal or sea-lion.
A pod of orca will sometimes take on a whale, ripping at lips & finally shredding the poor thing's tongue,
then abandoning her / him to a slow, miserable fate.

RESIDENT orca eat fish; TRANSIENTS eat mammals, & a dog is a nice snack.
i don't think this dog comprehends the danger, & i think the owner is a clueless twit, frankly - 
who throws a stick for their dog with a 2-ton predator in the water?! Boobie.


----------



## leashedForLife

M:M aggro is a common complaint from pet-owners or dog-handlers; from the breed ring to the local 
dog-walker, we see everything from mild posturing [up on toes, a bit too- intense staring] to outright 
assaults - lunging, snapping, growls, rigid posture with stiffly flagged tails, hackles, & fights.

typical onset is around 6-MO, but highly-aggro breeds or types such as JRTs, Ovtcharka pups 
in the litter-nest, & others may start earlier - my buddy in Penna. who bred JRTs dearly loved 
her dogs, but she separated them by sex no later than 5-WO to the day, & shuttled Mom-dog 
back & forth between bitch-pups & dog-pups all day; otherwise, M-pups would harass their sisters 
so relentlessly, pups of both sexes would have scars on faces & ears from fighting before 8-WO.
Left to their brothers' nonstop bullying, the bitch-pups would either become maniacally defensive 
& hate all Ms on sight, or grimly sullen, shutting down around any male. Neither was good. :nonod:

SOCIAL HIERARCHIES | Dog Star Daily
SPECIAL NOTE:
actual hierarchies only develop between dogs who live together long-term, & are age-based in Ms.
IOW, the elder M is higher-ranking, but the younger willingly defers; there's no "fight".
This isn't about status - it's resources, access, & age. I include it because of the testosterone info 
during puberty [4-MO to 6-MO] & the spike [9-MO] into the decline to adult-M levels [12- to 15-MO].

Dog Communication | Dog Star Daily

Fighting | Dog Star Daily

M-pups go thru FOUR separate stages of masculinization & testosterone levels:
androgenization in utero, released into the amniotic fluid by the dam, which triggers 2ndary sex
traits like a penis developing from the original vulval tissue, etc.
early into mid-puberty: around 4-MO when pup-license expires, to 6-MO.
the testosterone spike, from 7-MO on, which peaks at 9 to 10-MO at *5 to 7 times* the levels 
secreted in the bloodstream of adult-males over 12 to 15-MO...
& intact-Male adulthood, when testosterone falls from the 10-MO peak to 12 to 15-MO levels, 
where it stays until old-age.

male-pups go thru a long gauntlet of harassment, bullying, social ostracism, intolerance, etc, 
from all adult-dogs of both sexes & any genders [intact or desexed]; they are punished for things 
they didn't even do, but are ASSUMED to have done just cuz they were there.

This is not only incredibly stressful for the pups as pubertal kids & hormonally-flooded teens, 
but they are a trigger-point for other dogs to react to... which teaches them as 'victims' to react, too.
They feel picked-upon [sometimes justifiably, sometimes not], & get touchy.

the reek of a super-male teen dog is a blatant nose-punch for other older dogs, who will react 
to one degree or another - causing HIM to react, in turn. :huh:


----------



## leashedForLife

Peaceable Paws

Pat sits-in on an Overall-DVM consult for aggro in a BSD-Mal 
Karen Overall « Pat's Blog

scroll down the blog for the consultation and Dr Karen's view of growls, etc -

*don't miss the photos of Pat's Pom, giving her H*** for combing the fluffer, :lol: 
bite-inhibition is a wonderful thing, :thumbup: but that face! is scary :scared:*

an over-view of Overall's view of 'aggressive' signals? 
dogs who growl, lunge, snark, etc, are looking for feedback, & need information; 
if U think of a growl as _*info, not a threat - * then the dog is waiting for a reply. _


----------



## MerlinsMum

leashedForLife said:


> if U think of a growl as _*info, not a threat - * then the dog is waiting for a reply. _


I am very blessed (and equally cursed!) by a very vocal dog as my teacher. He is very clear and adept at broadcasting, which I love - but sometimes it's a little too much... I don't need a running commentary at who is passing by the front room window.

He will say Yes! when asked certain questions, and he will also tell me No! in certain situations. I listen - of course I do.

It's become more to the fore now Rue is living here. He is very clear and consistent in communicating to her, as the resident dog (and she possibly not having had much contact with other dogs in her past), that's great.

My elderly mother and my sister - both having old-school dog training - tell him off for raising a lip or growling at Rue.... I, on the other hand, want to hug him for being so crystal clear and informative.

It's nothing short of fantastic communication. He can't open his mouth and say the words, "Back off, you're in my face!" It's done by those subtleties instead. Of course Mum and Sister think he shouldn't be doing it at all - but why?

"Oh he should be nice, that's nasty stuff."
"Why do you think it's not nice?"
"Growling is nasty... he is being aggressive."
"No he's not, he's telling her to keep her distance because she came too close, and he felt uncomfortable."
"But it's not nice...."
"How else do you expect him to tell her? He's a dog... he can't make the word sounds, or write her a polite note.....? Send her a text? Take it up with his landlady...?" :laugh:

I could be picky as it's clear sometimes this arises as a result of him being guardy... and Oh is he guardy! He maybe sitting in front of my mother (a soft touch) in the hope of getting a piece of whatever she's eating (I did tell her not to but she has early dementia), and is definitely guarding his chance of getting something, by curling his lip at Rue.

But as long as he is this articulate, there is no problem.

When Mum and Sister comment on his behaviour, I try to get them to see that he said "Bugger Off!" and Rue said, "Ok then, no worries". It would only be a REAL problem if Rue turned round one day, put her hands on her hips, and said: "No! Make me!"

But that ain't going to happen.... It's no different from me telling my elderly mother that I'd rather she didn't eat that cream cake as she is meant to be watching her cholesterol. She invariably says, 'OK' .... It's only an issue if she decided to turn it into a fight.


----------



## RussellTerror

I still don't understand one thing our Chewie (a Yorkie) is doing. Sometimes he's just doing a strange roaring sound like "raaauur?" sounding like question which is enhanced by him moving his to one side. It makes me feel like he's trying to say "What? I don't understand!"


----------



## leashedForLife

NOTE that "*dominance aggression*" is currently referred to as CONFLICTED or OWNER-Directed 
Aggro; it occurs when someone, typically the owner or a person who lives with the dog, prevents access
to something, pushes the dog away from ___ , grooms the dog, removes the dog, restrains the dog, etc.
The dog is CONFLICTED - & air-snaps, bites, growls & stiffens, or otherwise exhibits a distinct warning.

Overall on "dominance" as a destructive paradigm:
Part I: (2 pages)
Dumbed down by dominance, Part 1 - DVM

Part II: (3 pages)
Dumbed down by dominance, Part 2: Change your dominant thinking - DVM

teaching *deference*:
Teaching your aggressive dog deferential behavior

k9 aggro, Part 1:
Canine Aggression - Part 1

k9 aggression, Part 2:
Canine Aggression - Part 2

* the ASPCA's virtual-behaviorist - 
Aggression in Dogs | ASPCA 
a huge database of articles.

* an excerpt re ages & stages: 
Dog Owner's Guide: Canine Aggression - brackets indicate my editing.



> _
> 
> Canine aggression
> 
> Introduction
> Aggression in dogs is the most serious behavior problem that pet owners must deal with, & it is largely
> preventable if the owner understands canine growth periods & the factors that influence the development
> of aggressive behavior.
> 
> Health authorities report that more than one million people are bitten each year [USA], but this number
> probably represents only half the actual bites; the rest go unreported. Although many bite-wounds are minor, experts have reported that bites account for 1% of emergency room
> admissions & cost about $30 million in annual health care. At least half of dog bite victims are young children,
> usually under 10 years of age.
> 
> Critical periods of socialization
> Knowledge of the early growth periods of dogs helps to understand canine aggression. Puppies have a critical need
> for socialization from three-weeks age, when they can see and hear, until 14 weeks of age. Puppies should best
> be purchased between seven and eight weeks-age for proper socialization in the new home. [Somewhere between 8-WO
> & 12-WO], there is a [primary] fear-period, during which the puppy must not be harshly disciplined & must be handled
> gently by adults and children. [NOTE: this lasts only 7 to 10-days, & is often breed-specific in age of onset.]
> 
> Fourteen-weeks starts the juvenile period - the dreaded adolescence - that ends when the pup achieves [social] maturity,
> [between 12-mos for toy-sized to 3-YO for giants]. If a puppy has not been socialized by the time s/he is 14 weeks old,
> s/he may never be trustworthy around people or other dogs.
> 
> Puppies raised in kennels where they receive very little human handling will often remain shy of people,
> particularly if not sold prior to 14 weeks of age. They may always be fearful, especially under stressful conditions.
> 
> Dogs reach sexual maturity at six to 14-months of age. During this period, they usually begin to bark at strangers
> & become more protective; males begin lifting a leg to urinate. Introduction to strangers (adults, children, & other dogs)
> on the home property during this period is important as well, especially if the pup has missed out on early socialization.
> 
> Factors influencing aggression
> Genetic and hereditary factors play a major role in aggression. Protective breeds such as Dobermans, Akitas,
> and Rottweilers are expected to be more aggressive than Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers.
> Feisty terriers were bred to kill small game, and they still retain this characteristic.
> 
> Inbreeding can create unstable temperaments, & hormones can contribute to aggressive tendencies in intact male dogs,
> females in heat or in a false pregnancy, and females nursing puppies.
> 
> Environment -- living conditions, lack of socialization, excessive punishment, being attacked
> or frightened by an aggressive dog, being spoiled or *given too much unwarranted praise by owners*, being isolated from human contact or being exposed to frequent teasing by children or aggravation by joggers --can also influence aggression. _


*this phrase* is IMO & IME of over-25-years, pure manure. 
the article as a whole contains some outdated info - dominance-aggro is now generally referred to as 
owner-directed or conflicted-aggro; pack-theory was disproved over 20-years ago; linear hierarchy 
does not develop in dogs, etc.


----------



## leashedForLife

Free ON-LINE resources include Karen Overall, DVM - 
a vet-behaviorist & member of the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behaviorists.
HHS: Veterinary Medicine Community Client Instructions -- Protocol for Teaching Your Dog to Uncouple Departures and Departure Cues
Disassociating departure cues, etc

DS / CC for events that occur near the door:
HHS: Veterinary Medicine Community Client Instructions -- Protocol for Desensitization and Counterconditioning to Noises and Activities That Occur by the Door


----------



## RioDa

My rottweiler often turns her head away if I'm talking to her or go near her. In the past she has also walked away from me (literally). Why is this? I've heard the turning head away as a 'submissive behaviour' and 'accepting me as the leader' or something but still I want her to feel comfortable and not just walk away ? You can see an example of this actually in my avatar photo I think it's called.


----------



## newfiesmum

RioDa said:


> My rottweiler often turns her head away if I'm talking to her or go near her. In the past she has also walked away from me (literally). Why is this? I've heard the turning head away as a 'submissive behaviour' and 'accepting me as the leader' or something but still I want her to feel comfortable and not just walk away ? You can see an example of this actually in my avatar photo I think it's called.


Have you had her since she was a pup, or was she a rescue? I would take the turning away of the head as an appeasement signal but I don't know about the walking away. L4L will know more when she comes back on. Neither of these signs mean she accepts you as her leader, though. You are just the mug who pays for her keep and always will be

Joking aside, dogs do not look for leaders, they look for the person who is giving them the comforts in life.


----------



## RioDa

newfiesmum said:


> Have you had her since she was a pup, or was she a rescue? I would take the turning away of the head as an appeasement signal but I don't know about the walking away. L4L will know more when she comes back on. Neither of these signs mean she accepts you as her leader, though. You are just the mug who pays for her keep and always will be
> 
> Joking aside, dogs do not look for leaders, they look for the person who is giving them the comforts in life.


Had her since she was a pup. Also if it's an appeasement signal is there anything I can do to reduce the anxiety because she does it often?

and okay thank you and I don't really look for being a leader anyway, it's just what I've been told, but yeah thank you


----------



## newfiesmum

Have a look here http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-chat/328872-i-love-body-language-dictionary.html

Link leads to an interesting cartoonish chart on different signals. Turning the head away, according to that, means "peace" as I thought while walking away means "respect". I would have thought it was just the opposite myself!

Some dogs do naturally turn their heads away, give the peace signal, for no real reason. I don't think it means she fears you or anything of that nature but it could be, and remember L4L is the expert not me, being a rottweiler she has had a few people on her walks who have shown fear so it is what she expects. She is telling them she is nothing to be scared of.


----------



## RioDa

newfiesmum said:


> Have a look here http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-chat/328872-i-love-body-language-dictionary.html
> 
> Link leads to an interesting cartoonish chart on different signals. Turning the head away, according to that, means "peace" as I thought while walking away means "respect". I would have thought it was just the opposite myself!
> 
> Some dogs do naturally turn their heads away, give the peace signal, for no real reason. I don't think it means she fears you or anything of that nature but it could be, and remember L4L is the expert not me, being a rottweiler she has had a few people on her walks who have shown fear so it is what she expects. She is telling them she is nothing to be scared of.


Thank you that helps alot


----------



## leashedForLife

Thanks, NewfMum, for covering for me...
i spent the day sick in bed, it's 8-PM local time, & i didn't get up until 6-pm for anything except bathroom trips;
Norwalk virus is the suspected culprit, i had noisy gurgling-gut & severe diarrhea.  Blecchhh!... 
feeling much better, now. :thumbsup:

BTW, i wouldn't rate myself as 'expert', yet - i'm good at reading individual dogs in real life,
& i truly believe that it's saved me from many a bite, too, but i hope to get even better at it. 
It's very nice, tho, to hear Newfie'sMum say i'm an expert, as i appreciate her long-time knowledge, too.
Compliments are always nice, but don't U find that compliments from ppl we ourselves look up to are best 
of all?... :blush: :yesnod: I do!

re the look-away gesture:
Yes, i'd say it's either, "i'm a bit worried, calm down / step back", OR... "i'm not a threat, U can relax".

which one depends on the context, & the dog - if she's had her tail stubbed, it's harder to read her body-parl,
U have to look carefully for signs of contraction / shrinking, lowered head & ears, nose down / boss forward,
butt tucked under, etc. Such *contraction* would be a tip-off that she's anxious & appeasing; then i'd think
she's signaling, "back off, please - U're scaring me".

If OTOH she's upright & open, but turns her head & gaze away, she's encouraging someone else 
[another dog, a person, ___ ] to come closer, that she's not a threat or aggressive, she wants to 
interact with them.

Very few postural or body-parl signals can be read alone - most are a word in a larger vocabulary,
just as a wagging tail is not ALWAYS "happy & sociable" --- it can also be a highly-aroused dog who's 
busily chewing the H*** out of someone at their front-end, whilst wagging their own butt off, at the other. 
.
.


----------



## Poochface

Hi,
Can anyone recommend a behaviourist for my friend's Thai ridgeback she lives in Ipswich

Best wishes
Pam


----------



## MerlinsMum

Poochface said:


> Hi,
> Can anyone recommend a behaviourist for my friend's Thai ridgeback she lives in Ipswich


Karen Clynes - Walkies & Talkies - she is based in Wiltshire, however she owns three Thai Ridgebacks herself, all rescues which came to her with issues, so she is probably the only trainer/behaviourist in the UK with specialist TR knowledge. She would be well placed to advise on suitably experienced trainers near Ipswich, if she couldn't help out herself.


----------



## leashedForLife

_Handling, Moving & Restraining Dogs in Stressful Environments.
Part 1: A Workshop on Essential Exercises, 
with Special Techniques for Medium & Large Dogs (2014)_

Amazon.com: Handling, Moving and Restraining Dogs in Stressful Environments. Part 1: A Workshop on Essential Exercises with Special Techniques for Medium and Large Dogs: Dr. Sophia Yin: Movies & TV


----------



## Rahoulb

newfiesmum said:


> Have a look here http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-chat/328872-i-love-body-language-dictionary.html
> 
> Link leads to an interesting cartoonish chart on different signals. Turning the head away, according to that, means "peace" as I thought while walking away means "respect".


Hi

Does anyone have a copy of the chart in the link? I just get a "content not found" when I try to access it?


----------



## leashedForLife

newfiesmum said:


> Have a look here http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-chat/328872-i-love-body-language-dictionary.html
> 
> Link leads to an interesting cartoonish chart on different signals. Turning the head away, according to that,
> means "peace"... while walking away means "respect". I'd have thought it was just the opposite, myself!
> 
> ....





Rahoulb said:


> Hi
> 
> Does anyone have a copy of the chart in the link?
> I just get a "content not found" when I try to access it.


the LINK above goes to a thread on PF-uk, where they discussed Lili Chin's drawings.

Here's a direct link:
Dog Training-related Drawings |
.
.


----------



## AnnieMcK

:smile:I think it is very easy to tell what your dog is saying to you, mine are soo easy to read! Each of them are very different but they have adorable but distinguishable characteristics :001_tongue:


----------



## newfiesmum

AnnieMcK said:


> :smile:I think it is very easy to tell what your dog is saying to you, mine are soo easy to read! Each of them are very different but they have adorable but distinguishable characteristics :001_tongue:


In my experience there are an awful lot of dog owners who don't have a clue what their dog is 'saying' in a given situation. I was out with my friend and our four newfoundlands last week, bearing in mind someone referred to them collectively as a 'herd of buffalo'. A couple came toward us with two black Labradors and one of them immediately jumped up her owner and turned her face away from us. We carried on walking past, as the dog was obviously uncomfortable, and the male owner declared 'she always does this. It is because she's jealous'. It was so obvious the dog was frightened, but she was his dog and he still did not realise that. Ours didn't go near the dog, just carried on walking past. I think dog body language should be a must to learn when you get a dog.


----------



## leashedForLife

newfiesmum said:


> In my experience there are an awful lot of dog owners who haven't a clue what their dog is 'saying' in a given situation.
> 
> I was out with my friend and our four Newfoundlands last week, bearing in mind someone referred to them collectively
> as a 'herd of buffalo'. A couple came toward us with two black Labradors and one of them immediately jumped up
> her owner and turned her face away from us. We carried on walking past, as the dog was obviously uncomfortable,
> and the male owner declared 'she always does this. It is because she's jealous'.
> 
> It was so obvious the dog was frightened, but she was his dog and he still did not realise that. Ours didn't go near
> the dog, just carried on walking past.
> 
> I think dog body language should be a must to learn when you get a dog.


What a pity! --- Poor dog, & yes, clueless owner. :nonod:

I can just imagine the way it happened from Ur description, NM - what a shame.

The dog is saying, *"Save me!..."*, & the husband thinks she's just clamoring for attention.
If Labs weren't too big to fit in pockets, the dog might have tried to clamber into one, to shut out the sight
of 4 grizzlies bearing down on them. 
.
.


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## petul

but look here how reacts the black dog to camera, what do you think? what he want to say? : Aggressive puppy


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## brendaanne3

Do you guys recommend any good books that dive into how dogs communicate with us?
My pup likes to whine a lot, but a lot of times he's also wagging his tail. I was raised thinking a whining dog meant that something was wrong or that he was uncomfortable and a tail wag meant that he was happy. I'd love to dive deeper into understanding him as he's very smart so I know he must be trying to tell me something a lot more than I realize.


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## Rafa

brendaanne3 said:


> Do you guys recommend any good books that dive into how dogs communicate with us?
> My pup likes to whine a lot, but a lot of times he's also wagging his tail. I was raised thinking a whining dog meant that something was wrong or that he was uncomfortable and a tail wag meant that he was happy. I'd love to dive deeper into understanding him as he's very smart so I know he must be trying to tell me something a lot more than I realize.


Often, if a pup is wagging his tail, looking for attention from you and whining, it's excitement.


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## brendaanne3

Sweety said:


> Often, if a pup is wagging his tail, looking for attention from you and whining, it's excitement.


Good to know! Sometimes I'm dog just whines, however, when he's just sitting on the couch with me. He's usually a cushion or so away from me and seems totally content to just let on a little whine-yawn.

I've heard whines can be a sign of being uncomfortable? I just never know how to differentiate between a tired puppy yawn and a signalling yawn.


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## StormyThai

Huskies are a very talkative breed, so you will probably find he is just chatting most of the time


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## brendaanne3

StormyThai said:


> Huskies are a very talkative breed, so you will probably find he is just chatting most of the time


Yeah, I was thinking that might be the reason as well  . He loves to chat with me when he's laying on his doggy bed.


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## leashedForLife

.
.
Blast! - my previously-composed reply is gone, bl**dy laptop hung up & when i finally shut it down, then re-started, the entire post was gone. I should have
copied it for pasting. Drabbit.
.
Anyway - Brenda-Anne, there are at least a dozen books listed in this thread, plus links to videos, articles, etc. I'd suggest U read the thread, watch the linked clips [especially the Brown-Bag lectures], & the book titles will come along as U peruse the sticky.
U'll learn a lot by just delving into it. ;-)
.
.
"A wagging tail means a happy dog" is extremely simplistic; if i saw a BSD Malinois lunging & barking madly in a police cruiser & stopped to make happy talk because the dog's tail was wagging vigorously, the cop would think i was a lunatic.
Yes, s/he's wagging - but every other indicator says extreme excitement or flat-out hyperarousal, not "happy to see U".
.
*Wag = arousal*; what kind & how much are indicated by the tail's ht & angle relative to the dog's spine, the speed of wags, what part of the tail wags, how w-i-d-e or narrow the arc of wags, & a few other factors that may or may not be present [i-e, piloerection: is the tail bristling?].
Arousal can be happy - *Mom's home!* - or aggro: *trespasser!*
.
.
As for Ur dog, from this remove without so much as a still photo, I'd say the most common purpose of that combo [wagging tail & soft whines while gazing at nearby person] is to solicit attn AND to defuse any possible irritation that's provoked by the whine B4 it is kindled. IOW, solicit & appease.
Specifically, i'd guess he'd like to come over & sit in Ur lap, or at least be called over to sit beside U, touching U, for petting - or just for contact comfort.
The tail action is appeasing - most-likely tail-tip rapid wags, or it might be full tail-length slow thumps ['thwap... thwap...'] on the sofa cushion.
His gaze is soft; his ears are probly slightly back, slightly down, or both.
His head may be raised & attentive, or slightly lowered / appeasing.
.
He might even grin nervously - pull the corners of his mouth back, so that some incisors are visible, as well as flews on both sides. the nervous grin will be exaggerated if U've "corrected" him in the past for whining [scold, smack, etc].

EDITED to remove strike-thru text, sorry - sometimes that pops up, & i don't know why.


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## chelseabond

Hya everyone . We dont really have a dog problem. But i wanted to ask this question.we have an adorable little shihtzu shes just over a year old now and we love her to bits, shes well looked after and loved and is such a good girl in every possible way we have no complaints what so ever.. But does anyone know why wen shes relaxing sometimes or playing or anything else she will suddenly come up to us and put her front paw up and kinda nudge us with it as if to say hello, we always acknowledge her when she does this and it seems to satisfy, im just wondering what it means. ??


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## chelseabond




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## chelseabond

Thats her by the way shes called Evie as we bought her in the evening x


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## leashedForLife

QUOTE, ChelseaBond:

...we have an adorable little Shih-Tzu - Evie's just over a year old, now, & we love her to bits, she's... a good girl in every possible way, we have no complaints whatsoever.

But does anyone know why, when she's relaxing, sometimes, or playing, or [at other times], she'll suddenly come up to us, put her front paw up, & kinda nudge us with [that paw], as if to say hello?... 
we always acknowledge her when she does this, & it seems to satisfy her, i just wonder what it means.
??

/QUOTE
.
.
Hi, Chelsea -
Just as an aside, Evie is adorable, but then, most Shih-Tzu are cute, engaging, playful, highly affiliative, & habit-forming, LOL - they should come with warning labels. ;-}
.
.
we can't really "know" what a particular gesture means outside of a given context, & this one, nudging U with a raised paw, seems to happen under many different circs - she's at play, or lying about relaxing, or doing something else that's not specified.
So we lack a consistent context to add enlightening clues.
.
It seems she can be actively romping & come nudge U, passively resting & come nudge U, or ___?___ & come nudge U - not very informative data, so we can't surmise much from the activity she's engaged in BEFORE she comes to nudge U with an upraised paw.
.
The only generalization i can make is that most deliberate gestures involving raised forepaws are solicitation: the dog wants attn of one kind or another, which might be reassurance, social contact, simple acknowledgement [a mini-reunion], some petting - who knows?
U *don't* say that she's ever distressed when these paw-nudges are offered, so it seems she's not upset or frightened, she's just making contact.
.
The other generalization is that raised-paw gestures are holdovers or relics from puphood, when everybody was bigger than the pup & s/he had to lift their forepaws to reach the grown-ups' faces, or even climb on or lean on the adult's foreleg, in order to reach their face & offer appeasing or soliciting licks.
So "paw lifts" are soliciting, appeasing, or child-to-parent gestures.
.
My best suggestion is to keep a simple log of when they happen - & record not just what SHE was doing, but what YOU were doing, just prior to her offering a paw-nudge.
If U discover that she paw-nudges when U've been self-involved for 45-mins or more, reading a book, or watching telly, or on the phone, or ______, then a paw-nudge could be something as simple as reminding U she's here... "hey, Mom! See me?..."
.
.
Since all behavior is a conversation, it could be the paw-nudge is a reply prompted by something U are doing / already did, rather than a new "topic" introduced by the dog, if U see what i mean?
And a log of what she's been doing / what U've done might provide the clue that makes her feelings / intentions / desires obvious, in retrospect, by providing a common context on Ur side, if not on hers.
.
If U don't mind sharing, let us know what U observe - it's always interesting to hear new samples of behavior "from the field". 
;-D
.
.
.


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## newfiesmum

Did you have this little girl from a pup or have you recently got her? I think it makes a lot of difference to a dog's confidence and in my experience, a dog that comes to you from another situation will often constantly seek attention or even just stare at you, as though to make sure you are not going away. I could be totally wrong, but it is just a thought.


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## chelseabond

Helo there
Unleashed thank you for sharing the info u have , i think its a bit of attention like hey mom im still here.as she is such a darling in every possible way wen she does do this, we do give her a cuddle or stroke and it seems to be fine with her x


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## chelseabond

Hello there

Oh nooooo we got her wen she was a baby 9 weeks old and have had her since then.
We think its just a little something she does to let us know shes there cos when she does this we give her a lil cuddle or stroke and shes satisfied, i just wondered if anyone on here who has a little shih tzu knew exactly why she does it. Ive had a few dogs in my time. All until they grew old except a collie we had , he had to be put to sleep becos he attacked me . This lil shihtzu is certainly the most lovely and wants a fuss ,but is also so very intelligent and clever and funny snd everything we cud wish for...


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## Magyarmum

In my limited experience it seems to be more common in smaller breeds of dogs. My Mini Schnauzer like my previous small dog, a Tibetan Spaniel, will put a paw on my knee and sometime nudge me with his head to get my attention. It normally only happens when I'm sitting down, concentrating on something else such as working at the computer or watching the TV. Once I've acknowledged him and given his head a scratch off he'll go quite satisfied! He also sleeps on my bed at night, and if he's a bit restless when we first go to bed, I settle him down by stroking the back of his neck which is a sure way of relaxing him to the point where he falls asleep.


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## Mike7788

I'll be sure to look through the many links posted throughout this thread. Also, I am going to buy 'Canine body language: A photographic guide' by Brenda Aloff, I'm sure it has been posted in this thread.


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## leashedForLife

QUOTE, Mike7788:

I'll be sure to look through the many links posted throughout this thread. 
Also, I'll buy 'Canine body language: A photographic guide' by Brenda Aloff, 
I'm sure it's been posted...

/QUOTE
.
.
hi, Mike 
Yes, loads of excellent links, & yup, Brenda's book is tagged here, too.
Don't miss the Brown-Bag lectures on video - they're terrific.
.
.
.


----------



## Mike7788

leashedForLife said:


> QUOTE, Mike7788:
> 
> /QUOTE
> .
> .
> hi, Mike
> Yes, loads of excellent links, & yup, Brenda's book is tagged here, too.
> Don't miss the Brown-Bag lectures on video - they're terrific.
> .
> .
> .


Hey.
Thanks, I'll be sure to give them a watch. Looking to enhance my knowledge of dog body language greatly!
Although a lot of these links no longer exist, I'll look up what is still here. 
Feel free to post even more relevant articles


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## leashedForLife

QUOTE, Mike7788:

Hey.
Thanks, I'll be sure to... watch. Looking to enhance my knowledge of dog body language greatly!
Although a lot of these links no longer exist, I'll look up what is still here.
Feel free to post even more relevant articles 

/QUOTE
.
.
Sorry to hear some? / many? links are defunct, but Trish King's clips on UTube haven't vanished. 
.
Here's all her stuff, including the Brown Bag talks...
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Trish+King,+dogs
.
.
.


----------



## Mike7788

Yeah, the second post you have made in this thread 'a rich source of links', doesn't seem to work. Also some of the videos I cannot access because they are private.
But, I have purchased the Brenda Aloff Dog Body Language book which should be arriving either today or tomorrow!!


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## leashedForLife

QUOTE, Mike7788:

...the second post ... 'a rich source of links', doesn't seem to work.
Also some linked videos I can't access because they're private.
...

/QUOTE
.
.
That's a major problem with the 'Net, it's not a library with a Dewey-Decimal shelving system, where so long as no-one steals the book nor shelves it in the wrong place, IT'S THERE - 
Web pages are removed, moved, altered, access is privatized, etc. Entire websites are taken down; the progressive desensitization program for doorbell / knocking reactivity by a well-known Vet-Behaviorist was removed after 10-yrs as a publicly-posted resource. :---(
.
None of the video-links i posted were 'private' at the time.
I'd post a comment & ask the owner to please provide the passcode.
.
SFAIK, Trish King's clips & Emily Larlham's videos are still ALL public-access.

Emily Larlham AKA 'KikoPup' channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup
.
Trish King dogs
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Trish+King+dogs
.
Trish King's channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/trishk48
She's also posted under "Marin Humane Society" & Tawser Dog Productions.
.
Sophia Yin's channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/SuperBark1
.
Karen Overall DVM, DACVB [veterinary behaviorist]
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Karen+Overall+DVM
.
Dr Karen's channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/AVSABehavior
.
.
.


----------



## leashedForLife

.
.
more UTube goodies...
.
Trish McConnell's channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/PatriciaMcConnell
.
Patricia isn't a vet-behaviorist, but a clinical behaviorist; she recently retired.
Many of her seminars were recorded by Tawser Productions, who rent as well as sell them. 
If U don't want to buy it for keeps, see if it's on the rental list. ;-}
.
.
B.A.T. b-mod
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=BAT,+Behavior+Adjustment+Training,+dogs
.
Grisha Stewart's channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTzA3s_dO0FCVcdmbW6WEHg
.
.
.


----------



## leashedForLife

.
.
Some good individual clips:
.
.
*Analyzing and Modifying Aggression - Suzzane Hetts & Nancy Williams*




Tawzer Dog
.
*The Body Lanuage of Canine Play*




Tawzer Dog
.
*Brenda Aloff/ Fundamentals DvD*
Dogwiseclips




.
*Canine Body Language in the Shelter*
Maddie's Institute




.
*Safer Handling and Restraint*
Ohio Veterinary Medical Association




.
BTW, the whole point of this sticky is to SHARE stuff - please post good 
resources for understanding dogs & humane training, when U find them.
Thanks! 
.
.
.


----------



## Mike7788

Thank you ever so much @leashedForLife , I really appreciate all these resources you've posted  
I know of Patricia McConnell and have watched a few of her videos. I really like the way she presents them, might just be something to do with her very likeable personality! I have also read one of her books, 'The other end of the leash', which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Yeah, I will be sure to add to this thread if i come across any relevant resources!


----------



## leashedForLife

.
.
BTW this lady is a Web-buddy of mine, she's in the UK -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChn66vqcGZdnI9KdhC7Ap1g
"AnimalCrackers" is her user-name.
.
Don't miss the clips of her mini-donkey, Bertie, learning to fetch a bumper, & her young
daughter does an incredible job with untrained, spooky ponies who belong to a neighbor.
.
.
this gent is another Web-buddy, Leonard - he's in... Germany, i think. Terrific trainer.
https://www.youtube.com/user/musicofnote1
.
.
& here's Chirag Patel, another wonderful UK trainer -
https://www.youtube.com/user/DomesticatedManners
.
.
.


----------



## StaffXShaPei

leashedForLife said:


> The Canine Behavior Blog » Welcome to The Canine Behavior Blog


I just clicked the link and was denied access.


----------



## leashedForLife

.
.
want to see a great example of abject terror?...  Here it is...
.
.








.
.
commissure pulled back as a slot.
Nostrils & pupils are dilated.
Ears out & down.
half-height walk, with belly close to the ground.
Tail down.
Head at chest level, chin below sternum.
Whole body is contracted - trying to shrink; look how tight that left forepaw is, & the tight contraction of the RIGHT one, which is weight-bearing & should be s.p.r.e.a.d. by the pressure of their wt - ditto the off rear leg (the left ), the paw is EXTREMELY contracted, barely making contact with the substrate, instead walking on the 'claws' not the pads.
.
Petrified - poor thing. 
.
.
.​


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## Huskyhomelove

Somethimes dogs is to active


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## Marino Tilatti

These are really very nice.


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## Marino Tilatti

really very nice list of links, really helpful.


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## kimthecat

canine stress signs with photos

https://www.growlsnarlsnap.com/single-post/2017/09/11/Stress-Signs-In-Dogs?platform=hootsuite


----------



## Cayley

leashedForLife said:


> .
> .
> want to see a great example of abject terror?...  Here it is...
> .
> .
> View attachment 303274
> 
> .
> .
> commissure pulled back as a slot.
> Nostrils & pupils are dilated.
> Ears out & down.
> half-height walk, with belly close to the ground.
> Tail down.
> Head at chest level, chin below sternum.
> Whole body is contracted - trying to shrink; look how tight that left forepaw is, & the tight contraction of the RIGHT one, which is weight-bearing & should be s.p.r.e.a.d. by the pressure of their wt - ditto the off rear leg (the left ), the paw is EXTREMELY contracted, barely making contact with the substrate, instead walking on the 'claws' not the pads.
> .
> Petrified - poor thing.
> .
> .
> .​


I am trying to understand my pups body language as best I can. And this... I got. She hates the front of our house. That is where the car is, (which she hates going in.) where the other cars are, and basically not where she wants to be. Even chicken can't entice her sometimes.

When she first got her, she was terrified. (Being a lab cross, I judge her fear based on if she will eat what is under her nose.) she would not eat. At one point I tried to help her build her confidence. I'd sit with her on my lap on the drive and chill. At one point I moved across the front lawn and sat. THAT picture you put is her exact body language as she crept across the lawn to me. At the time she was 9-10 weeks. She did, after that first independent trip, explore on her own a little more, slowly going further from me.

What I don't know/ understand, is the correct response from me. Her going further from me was a positive step here. However, at 15 weeks she still hates going on walks. I had to pretend to eat the chicken myself to get to come outside yesterday and that took me a good 20 mins.

Knowing body language is useful, but how do we respond in order to help long term? Or being a puppy is it all just gradual?


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## Liz_Doggo

Really helpful thread, thanks!


----------



## Ragnar&Biffy

leashedForLife said:


> Dog Body Language Diagrams
> 
> Calming Signals Community
> 
> When to sniff and when not to - Behavior & Training Forum
> 
> My dog constantly fake yawns at me? - Yahoo! Answers
> 
> Kikopup on Calming Signals in dog communication - Behavior & Training Forum


Most of these if not all of these links no longer work


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## Mitchell Perry

This is really helpful for me, there are some common misconceptions with dog body language and the link you have provided put some of my wrongs right. I am going to use those links to help me create a post for my blog 101dogblogs.


----------

