Don't just stand there. Do something!!!

Now that Venture lives with her new family, I am working with Evie again. You might remember that when I picked up Evie at almost 15 weeks old, that she was socialized poorly. One of the things she really hadn't learned to deal with, is how to play (and behave) around other dogs. So I am working on that with her, helping her to be a good member of the pack, helping her not te be the bully, helping her to be relaxes and happy when surrounded by other dogs. Because that is what she deserve.

This blog is about how to learn to read your dog and when your dog can use your help.

We always want the best for our dogs and so, like the social creatures we are, we like our dogs to socialize as well. And that's why we go to dog parks, organize puppy parties and meet up with our friends and their dogs. Dogs like ours interact too and in most cases they have the time of their lives.

When we lived in the Dutch city The Hague I always went to the dog park, first with Mojo and when Mijne was old enough, with both dogs. And 99% of the time Mojo was having fun, relaxed, playing & running with other dogs, but I also remember his encounters with dogs that were not so friendly. Or had the wrong fibe.

The situations were different, the dogs were different, but the encounters had one thing in common. If we humans had paid better attention, and reacted accordingly, these situations could have been prevented. And that's why reading dog play body language is so very important.

Being able to read your dog and their body language (as well as other dogs) helps you understand if they are consenting to play. You can then tell if you need to help them get out of trouble in the early stages of playtime.

Mojo got anxious with two types of dogs. The first type is the male dog that is not interacting with other dogs, only staring and sending out a 'dominance' fibe. Mojo gets nervous around dogs like that and probably feels threatened. The other type is the over enthusiastic dog, the 'always in my face' dog, doesn't know how to stop even when Mojo sends out all STOP signals he could think off. signals of discomfort and happy signals of your dog are displayed in the next infographic

When I got Mijne I encountered a whole different level of reaction on situations that made Mijne anxious. Fast forward, I followed the Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) with him and in this training we also learned about how dogs react and what we need to do in those situations. BAT is based on the thought that at some point dogs need to be able to disengage themselves from the situation, from the trigger. BAT learns them when and how to do that, by walking away, distance themselves from the trigger, until they feel relax again.

The creator of BAT, Grisha Stewart, developed a stress chart shown here below, to help people understand the various behavior dogs show when encountering a trigger. In this case the trigger is another dog or dogs.
Some dogs get taller/ larger, as shown here, and some get shorter and more 'invisible'. Either way, a significant change from a neutral position is important and tells you that the dog may need your help.

The support scale explains what you should do when the dog has reached a certain stress level. It is all about keeping the dog out of the water, keeping the dog safe (on the beach). In this picture the dog is leashed, because that is what BAT is all about, but you can do the same and the stresslevel and signs are the same when unleashed.


It will take practice to learn to read your dog. Follow your instincts and don't let others tell you what you should do. You know your dog best, you and you alone are responsible for your dogs welfare. So don't listen to other owners when you know trouble is coming. A lot of owners, and I used to be one of them, like you to believe that it is going to be ok. 'The dogs will figure it out', is what they want you to believe. NO, you know your dog best and what he or she can handle and NO in a lot of situations they won't figure it out unless by figuring out you mean it ends up in a fight.
And if that means others might find you not so friendly, because you decided to walk away with your dog without even saying goodbye, so it be. Take it from me, there are worst things in life and I've learned it the hard way.

Ps A very good read on dog body language is Stanly Corans book 'how to speak dog'?