If you're like many people, dogs are like magnets. Before you
know it you're at the dog's side, petting and cooing over that
adorable fur-covered face. But what if you reach out to give a
dog a friendly pat and the dog cringes or backs away--or worse,
growls or attempts to bite? Unfortunately, many dogs are afraid
of people, and even the best-intentioned motion could be
interpreted as a threat.
Whether you live with a fearful dog, work with shy dogs in a
shelter or rescue environment, or simply want to make your own
dog or dogs you meet more comfortable, it is important to
understand how human body language affects our canine friends.
Learning how to use body language effectively will allow you to
put a frightened dog at ease, gain his or her trust, and avoid
misunderstandings. To that end, below is an excerpt from my book
Help for Your Fearful Dog.
The following tips on human body language are applicable when
interacting with any dog, but are especially important when
dealing with a fearful dog. Adopt these mannerisms and teach
others who interact with your dog to do so as well:
1. Let the dog come to you. If your dog is frightened, she must
be allowed to decide whether or not to approach. Don't restrain
your dog and force her to accept contact from others. Remember
the "fight or flight" response; if you take away the opportunity
for flight, your dog's choices are limited.
2. Turn to the side. Facing a dog directly is more
confrontational than keeping your body turned partially or
completely to the side; even turning your head to the side will
make a frightened dog feel less anxious.
3. No staring, please! A direct stare is a threat in the animal
kingdom (and on New York City subways!). It is perfectly fine to
look at your dog; just soften your expression and don't "hard
stare" directly into her eyes. Do not allow children to put
their faces near your dog's face or to stare into her eyes.
4. Don't hover. Leaning over a dog can cause the dog to become
afraid and possibly defensive. The one time I was bitten while
working in a Los Angeles city animal shelter happened when I
went to return an adorable, fluffy white dog to her pen. While
placing her on the ground, I inadvertently reached over her
equally adorable little pen mate--who jumped up and bit me in
the face.
5. Approaching dogs by patting them on the head is ill-advised.
Pet appropriately. Envision the interaction from the dog's point
of view; a palm approaching from above can be alarming. I do a
demonstration with kids to teach them how to pet dogs properly.
The child plays the role of the dog; I tell the child that I
will pet him in two different ways, and he is to tell me which
is nicer. First, I reach my hand slowly toward the child's cheek
and stroke it, smiling and softly saying, "Good dog!" Next, I
bring my hand brusquely palm-down over the child's head
repeatedly, while loudly saying, "Good dog, good dog!" Kids
almost invariably like the first method better. If dogs could
answer for themselves, nine out of ten dogs would vote for the
first method as well! It's not that dogs should never be petted
on top of the head, but that head-patting (or petting over the
dog's shoulders, back, or rump) should not be used as an initial
approach. It is wiser to make a fist, hold it under the dog's
nose to allow her to sniff, then pet the dog on the chest,
moving gradually to the sides of the face and other body parts,
assuming the dog is comfortable. Likewise, a hand moving in
quickly to grab for a dog's collar is more potentially
fear-inducing than a hand moving slowly to a dog's chest,
scratching it, then moving up to take hold of the collar.
6. Stoop, don't swoop. Small dogs in particular are often
swooped down upon when people want to pick them up. Fast,
direct, overhead movements are much more frightening than slow,
indirect ones. To lift a small dog, crouch down, pet the dog for
a moment, then gently slip your hands under her belly and chest,
and lift.
7. Watch your smile. While humans interpret a smile as friendly,
a dog might not be as fond of seeing your pearly whites. A show
of teeth is, after all, a threat in the animal kingdom. A friend
of mine once accompanied me to visit the wolves at the rescue
center. She patiently sat on the ground, motionless. Finally, a
large, black wolf approached to investigate. Unable to contain
herself, she broke out in a huge, toothy grin. The wolf darted
away as though she had raised a hand to hit him. The lesson?
Save the dazzling toothpaste smile for charming your dates and
accepting awards. Smile at canines with a closed mouth.
© 2006 Nicole Wilde
About the author:
Nicole Wilde, CPDT (Certified Pet Dog Trainer) is the author of
seven canine-related books including So You Want to be a Dog
Trainer and Help for Your Fearful Dog (Phantom
Publishing/www.phantompub.com). She presents seminars worldwide,
co-stars in the Train Your Dog: The Positive Gentle Method DVD,
and writes a training column for Modern Dog Magazine. Nicole can
be reached at phantmwlf@aol.com.
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