23/01/2023
Canine Body Language - What is your dog trying to tell you? š¶
While dogs cannot speak, they can tell us a lot about how they are feeling just through their body language. It is important to be able to recognise and read a dog's body language. Recognising these signs early on can allow dog owners and non-dog owners to keep their dog, themselves, and others safe.
When assessing a dog, it is important to:
1. Assess the dog's body language as a whole - just looking at one body part can give an inaccurate picture (e.g. a wagging tail - a wagging tail coupled with relaxed body language indicates a calm dog, a wagging tail coupled with growling and baring of teeth indicates an aggressive dog.)
2. Consider the context of the behaviour (Drooling and lip-licking during meal prep is completely normal, but in the context of a vet visit - can indicate high levels of stress)
3. Understand that individual dogs vary (Owners would know their dogs best. Each dog will have different behaviours when relaxed, stressed, or fearful. In order to better assess body language, it is important to know what is normal for your dog and what isn't)
For more info, visit: https://thejollypetco.com/blogs/the-jolly-pet-academy/understanding-your-dog-canine-body-language
