Dog Body Language: Do Not Pet
Published June 29, 2011
Reading a dog's body language is a nuanced skill, but could go a long way to bettering your relationship with the pup in question.
Think the dog in the photo is enjoying the petting he’s getting? Everything in his posture says, “No thanks,” but I watched the petting continue despite his obvious displeasure. At times it looked like the little Chi wanted to bite the petter!
Petting can be a selfish act if the dog on the receiving end doesn’t appreciate it. So how can you tell if Fido welcomes your touch? You can examine his body language,from the ears down to the tail, for clues about how he feels, or you can try this quick test: pet for a moment, stop, and watch what the dog does next.
A dog that is enjoying your touch will likely lean in to you, paw at your hand or do something similarly obvious to let you know that he’d appreciate more, thank you.
The dog that isn’t enjoying the petting will probably move away, even if it’s only a step or two. Some dogs just shift their body weight away, or move their head out of the “strike zone.” The point is the dog tries to put distance between his body and your hand. Obvious, right? Of course, this test is best used when you have already asked the person at the other end of the leash if it’s okay to touch their dog.
I meet a bunch of dogs every day that are completely over-stimulated by the sights and smells in the store; usually petting from me is the last thing they want. As difficult as it is to refrain from touching every canine visitor, I honor their subtle requests to “just let me shop, lady!”
Happily, there are exceptions. A sweet old Golden shopper comes in and sits behind the counter with me, whimpering for shoulder massages and flicking her nose at my fingers when I stop. A Brussels Griffon opts out of playing with Millie and leans against me for some love. More often than not, though, my canine shoppers just want to Hoover the floor.
Deciphering dog body language is a nuanced skill, and my little “stop and watch” tip only scratches the surface of learning to read a dog. However, it’s an easy way to take a step back and assess if a dog considers you a pleasure or a pest. (Believe it or not, that there are some dogs that don’t enjoy petting at all. Stay tuned for more!)
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Comments (10)
Rule 1: be sure the situation is calm and relaxed before initiating contact. Dogs can sense stress easily and can become stressed by other beings around them (pack animals). Don't approach a dog if you are fearful or afraid.
Rule 2. reduce your threat signature. Never hover or lean over the dog or touch it outside of its line of sight until it's comfortable with you. Squat or kneel and hang back a little. Don't extend your hand over the dog, keep it in a place that preserves the dog's space and remains within its sight.
Rule 3: let the dog initiate contact. Offer an upturned palm at the dog's nose level for easy sniffing without close contact (polite dog introduction). Whether the dog wants your attention will be obvious. If the dog seems receptive, start with a light scratch or tickle under the chin. This is non-threatening and the dog can easily move its head away if not comfortable. or move in for more attention.
Rule 4: accept the dog's decision. Don't be offended or take it personally if there is no interest. Don't try to compensate by more aggressively seeking the dog's attention. The dog may not be in sociable mood, but that will very likely change with time or circumstances. Most dogs are extremely social. Be patient.
Not much info here re what to look for in body language. When meeting a new dog I pretty much follow Cesar Millan's "no talk, no touch, no eye contact" rule, ignoring the dog but leaving my hand down where s/he can come sniff and initiate contact.
good article. I think that, as a rule, society is loosing it's understanding of our canine pals. can't count the number of times I have heard someone say, "oh, he is not mean, look at him wagging his tail". then, of course, when someone gets bitten, they blame the dog.
"Loosing" isn't a word. The word you're looking for is "losing" or maybe "loosening".
I refuse to take a step back and ASSES anything. That sounds dirty. "Assess," on the other hand...
I agree. I am sooooo sick of seeing typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors in EVERY article I read. Can't anyone read and write English anymore?