Dog body language

My dog doesn't listen to me!

There are four main reasons why dogs disobey or refuse to follow instructions.

They don’t understand what we’re asking of them.
The second is a lack of trust in us.
The third is that the reward gained by not complying is more highly valued than the reward for doing whatever we’re asking of them. (Playing with the dog in the park is more fun than the bit of dry kibble you are offering me!)
Sometimes its down to the dog’s age – adolescent dogs push boundaries and test us just like adolescent children do, and elderly dogs may have hearing or cognitive disorders that cause mental confusion.

Make sure your instructions are clear and consistent

Disobedience is most commonly the result of inadequate guidance and lack of clear signals. The dog isn’t deliberately trying to annoy you - he just doesn’t understand! Speak slowly using as few but consistent words as possible. “SIT,” “DOWN,” “STAY” are important ones to start with. But don’t hide these words in sentences or he won’t be able to distinguish them. Use distinct hand signals to match the word as dogs.

Always make sure you use a positive tone and not a negative tone if you want your dog to comply!

SIT

DOWN

STAY

Build trust

Be calm and positive and always reward behaviour that you like. If you get frustrated and angry then your dog will pick up on it and you’ll set him up for failure. Only reward the behaviour you like, and don’t be a pushover - if you spoil your dog and give him what he wants without having to earn it then he is unlikely to take you seriously.

Try and make learning fun. Dogs love attention and games and there are loads of brilliant training games available online.

Choose high value rewards

If your rewards are not exciting then your dog will not give up what he is doing, to do as you ask. Would you work if you didn't get paid? So ensure you use something your dog really values (this might be small pieces of chicken, cheese, liver sausage or a favourite toy if your dog is not food motivated).

Do not use the treat as a lure or he will only do as you ask when he can see the treat in your hand. Give the treat immediately when he has done as you have asked so he makes a positive association. Repeat it several times so that the connection is made between the command and the treat.

Adolescent or Elderly

Just like humans, teenage dogs start to test their boundaries and your cute, obedient puppy may start ignoring you or having selective hearing. You need to stay calm, firm, persistent and consistent - even if you secretly want to scream! This is just a phase and will calm down after the surge of hormones is over. Shelters are often full of large breed adolescent dogs where their owners had lost control.

At the other end of the spectrum, elderly dogs may start to lose their hearing or sight, so you may need to think of new ways to communicate with your dog.

Is your dog barking at you?

If you are walking into a room and your dog is barking at you it is probably because you are very big and threatening to your dog!

Don't stand in doorways staring the dog
Avoid making too much eye contact
Don't walk towards the dog head on
Get down to their level and stay sideways on
Don't reach over their head to stroke
Don't lean over or try to hug a dog unless they completely trust you.

Once your dog has stopped barking, praise him with a "good boy" or throw him a treat.

Canine Body Language

If you have never owned a dog before, it is important to understand how to interpret your dog's body language. Dogs quickly learn how to read our body language, so its only fair that we do the same for them.

Here is a great video that shows some of the signs that your dog is feeling stressed or anxious and tells you when to leave dogs be and when to intervene.

This is another great resource that will help you understand how dogs communicate. https://www.silentconversations.com/introduction-to-dog-body-language/

Checking consent for touch

To build a positive bond with your dog, you need to be able to read his/her body language. Our dogs talk to us all the time, if only we can understand what they are trying to tell us.

When getting to know your dog, look out for lip licks, yawns, head turns which are all signs that your dog is feeling stressed and is trying to communicate to you.

This training video helps you identify whether a dog wants to be stroked. The dog is showing lots of signs that he is unhappy, but it's easy to miss them if you don't know what to look for.

Common misconceptions

We think we know a bit about dogs, but often get it wrong because scared, anxious dogs often give off signs that are really easy to miss because we misunderstand them. Here are some common misconceptions:

Dog rolling on their back ≠ want's a belly rub

Actually dogs also roll on their backs when they are so frightened they are trying to be really submissive. I see this with newly arrived rescues off transport when they roll straight on their backs in fear, and well meaning fosterers take it as an invitation to stroke their bellies. Some dog's also do this if they meet a scary dog on their walk.

Yawning ≠ tired

A dog yawn shows an anxious dog who wants you to leave him alone. Repeated yawning is a really stressed dog.

Panting ≠ worn out

Some dog's also pant if they are really stressed and struggling to calm down

Wagging tail ≠ happy dog

A low slow and stiff wagging tail is a worried dog saying please back off

Growl ≠ being dominant

A growl is a dog's warning that it is uncomfortable and wants you to stop.

Ladder of aggression

Dogs rarely bite without warning. So a bite usually only occurs if the warnings have been ignored, OR if the dog has been punished for displaying its warnings.

These warnings that the dog is uncomfortable with the situation usually start with some calming signals like lip licking, turning their head away, tensing their body, yawning.

If these signals are ignored, they might try showing some displacement signals like sniffing the ground, random scratching, licking or checking their genitals. Sometimes dogs will go off and bark at something else like the boundary fence or your other dog to take out their frustration on them.

The most common misconception is the growl and often this is the first time people even notice that their dog is uncomfortable. Dog's growl to communicate their discomfort with the situation. They are not trying to be dominant, they are giving you a clear warning that they are not happy. Do not punish your dog for giving you a really clear signal!

The next escalation is rapid breathing, lip flicking, barking, showing his teeth, snarling, air snapping - this is seriously your last warning that your dog is in survival mode as he is not coping with the situation. The next step is the bite.

Dogs can escalate up the ladder really quickly depending on the intensity of the situation. Learning to read and act on the early warning signs will not only prevent a bite, it will help you build a more trusting and respectful relationship with your dog.

Many thanks to www.seespotlearn.co.nz for this useful graphic.

Here is a lovely free resource kindly shared by Lily Chen that you can use to help your family talk to your dog.

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