No Wonder So Many People Get Bitten! - Page 1

I found this on Facebook. If this is what dog trainers are teaching people about dog body language, no WONDER so many people get bitten! The one that really caught my eye was this photo: Supposedly it means the dog is 'on the case' trying to figure something out. I think the dog looks more like it is about to turn tail and BOLT!!  Whatever it sees is making it anxious, and it can't decide whether to back away, or stay put.  The hackles raised doesn't always mean a dog is angry. It more often means it's anxious and feeling threatened.

Other dangerous untruths/half truths: A dog staring at you means it loves you.  Well, we know how wrong THAT one is!  

A flick of the tongue means a dog is sorry for what it's done. Yes it may, but it also means the dog is feeling anxious. Behaviourists call this a 'calming signal'

A dog yawning means it feels relaxed and safe in your presence. Okay, it can. But it is also a 'calming signal' when a dog is feeling stressed. (They DID say this in one of the later photos.)

Here's the whole series of photos. The dog with the fake eyebrows made me want to barf...  http://boredomtherapy.com/dog-communication/?as=6035969934284

yes that article is funny....as a dog groomer I KNOW that that yawn is not a true yawn but seems to be one step away from a bite...almost like they want to bite but know they shouldn't so they yawn instead, definitely anxiety. and also a dog leaning hard on you and tackling you can be signs of domination. sorry but I don't want "tackled" by my dogs.

Sun, it´s only the attempt to explain people the different expressions of dogs...nice try.

I´m a firm believer that there are people able to "read" dogs whereas the whole majority is not able to do so.
I think you are not able to learn it - either you are able to understand at once, or you will never understand.

We live in a feel good society today. Everyone wants to be told that what they are doing is right, never told that they are wrong. And that is all that article was about. Just to make people feel good, and sure enough not to tell them any warning signs due to their actions. And I sure enough agree with Susie. It is unbelievable some of the things people say as regards dog behavior.

When I read Monty Robert's book, The Horse Whisperer, I realized I'd been unconsciously doing many of the things he talked about. For instance, when lunging a horse, I would move towards its rear if I wanted it to go faster, and towards its head if I wanted it to slow down. I wasn't even aware I was doing it, until I read about it in his book!

Had a guy in here with a male dog. As I was booking the dog in, I saw he was about to lift his leg and pee on the desk. I said "Uh-unh! Don't you dare!"

His clueless owner said, "Oh he wouldn't do THAT!" 

Three seconds later, his dog did EXACTLY that!

I was amazed that I could read the dog's body language better than the owner could!

So many people out there are clueless as to what their dog's body language is actually saying.  I heard one of my clients state he "beat the shit" out of his dog for growling at his niece.  I asked what his niece was doing and he said she was playing with him trying to hug him and he was "not being a good dog and letting her."  As a therapist I have to be non-judgmental, empathetic, and understanding while in my head I am screaming "WTF!!!"  I tried to educate him as to what a growl can mean and how dogs do not understand many of the human signs of love with the preface "Current research has found.."  His comment? "It's a dog and it needs to listen or go 10' under, I am not going to be one of those tree hugging liberals who humanizes an animal."  Looks like I have my work cut out.  I always try to educate but sometimes it seems like a never ending task.