Training Your Dog - Body Language

Image you and your dog are out on a walk and another individual with a dog is coming towards you. The other dog starts barking and jumping around the closer they get to you. The owner assures you that the dog is friendly and only wants to play. The other dog’s body language is playful and sociable. However, your dog doesn’t understand that the other dog is playing when the other dog slams into him and starts slobbering all over his neck. Your dog will most likely start to snap and snarl at the dog and then won’t understand why he is getting yelled at.

In many households, dogs learn they get whatever they want whenever they want it, without seeking permission or first offering an appropriate behavior (such as sitting). Train your dog to ask permission before they are allowed to play or get what they want. Proper social interaction deals with the use of space, the speed of entering a space, and the cues that say contact is or isn’t okay. There is a misconception among dog owners that believe every dog will get along given enough time and will work out any problems. Dogs are like people, there are some dogs they like and get along with and there are some they don’t like and will never get along with.

Always ask permission before allowing your dog to approach another. This is easier if the following training is in place:

• Train your dog to approach other dogs only with permission.
• Train your dog to sit calmly as other dogs pass by, feeding them many small treats quickly so that your dog focuses on you.
• Honor dog body language, and decline of break off any matchups if either dog appears uncomfortable or responds badly.

Body language that shows dogs are interacting appropriately when they first meet are:

• Relaxed bodies and faces on approach
• Wiggly bottoms or at least neutral tail positions (not too high, not tucked to their belly)
• Curved body motion as the dogs get close
• Brief face-to-face greeting that quickly becomes an investigation of the head and rear
• Continual movement by both dogs during investigation

After the dogs have started to play, here is some body language to look for to make sure everything is going well:

• Activity shifts, where dogs move from one type of play (boxing, jaw wrestling, chasing, tug) to another
• Role reversal, where dogs take turns being on the bottom or being chased
• Atmosphere cues, where dogs use play bows, happy play faces, and bouncy or inefficient movement to indicate “whatever I do next, I’m only playing”.