Sometimes when I work with families on management and boundary setting with dogs and babies or toddlers, people start to think that I’m suggesting zero interaction. In reality, I recommend parent-guided interactions based on the comfort level of the dog. Koa is quite comfortable with brushing, and we use goodies to make it an enjoyable experience. Here’s one way my little guy has started joining me on dog care - with some parent guided brushing! I keep Koa the treats flowing while I show Wiley how to brush out her fluff, and help him use the brush appropriately. Fun for everyone!
Are you excited to nerd out about body language with me on Sunday? Here’s another great example of some subtle “no thank you” body language. First, notice Shadow’s ears. In the beginning of the video they’re pinned back. When I move back a bit, they come back to neutral. Then I extend my hand and the ears move back again. Now let’s look at his face/mouth. This isn’t a hot dog - the room is temperate and we had only taken a short potty walk prior to coming into the office. This is a good example of “clown face” which is a sign of stress. Notice the lip lick when I extend my hand the second time? Another subtle stress signal. He also averts his gaze right around this time, which shows that he’s uncomfortable with my proximity. Now, let’s talk about the paw life. Cute, right? Well, yeah, and he probably has some reinforcement history for this behavior, but in this context, with the rest of his body language taken into account, I’d say this is a space creating behavior. By offering a (very perfunctory) paw to my outstretched hand, he’s able to pause the forward movement of my hand and prevent further proximity. About 20 minutes after this video, this dog was climbing into my lap and soliciting all kinds of pets! But in this moment he really needed some space.
