Is Your Dog Guilty?

You come home from a nice evening out on the town and it hits you as you enter the house. The unmistakable odor of your dog’s elimination drifts into your nasal passages as you turn on the light. There it is, on the expensive living room floor. As your dog races in excitedly to greet you, your angry voice meets their sensitive ears and they slink back to where they came from. With the tail between the legs, eyes droopy and forlorn, they play the perfect part of the guilty party. Certain your dog’s behavior is an expression of guilt, you think good, they know that eliminating in the house is wrong. However, the canine world is much simpler than that and a dog's brain does not work the way our mind works.

Catch Them in the Act
We can learn many things from our dogs but perhaps the most zen-like of their qualities is the fact that they are experts at living in the present moment. In fact, they know no other way of living. So when you come home to a torn up shoe and scold your pet, it will be to no avail. Your dog will simply think that whatever he or she was doing when you came home was wrong. Your dog cannot correlate the torn up shoe from hours ago with your reprimands, even if you wave the shoe in front of his or her face. Only if you catch your dog in the act of the particular crime can you correct them. 

“The Look”
Where does that guilty look come from? When you scream or yell at your dog it scares them. That guilty look is your pup’s response to your behavior and can be credited to stress signals and appeasement behavior. When you stiffen your body stance, wave a reprimanding finger in their face and address them in an angry, stern tone, your dog reacts to your body language and knows they are in trouble but do not understand why. To neutralize your perceived "aggressive" behavior, your dog may exhibit signs of submission. This can include their tail between the legs, squinted or downcast eyes, rolling over, a thumping tail, or even showing teeth. For a perfect example of how a dog reacts to a scolding owner, watch the infamous video of Denver the Guilty Dog.

When you return home to those inevitable messes and chewed up signs that come with the territory of being a dog owner, take a deep breath and suppress your anger. Do not attempt to discipline your pooch unless you catch them in the act. Otherwise, you are simply wasting your breath and causing your dog undue stress.  

National Dog Bite Prevention Week: Understanding Your Dog's Signals

It’s National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and you can help the cause by learning to understand your dog’s warning signs. This week was established by Doggone Safe, an organization devoted to promoting education that can help prevent dog bites and providing support for dog bite victims. The ultimate goal of this week is to help us, the humans, properly understand and communicate with our dogs in ways that can help prevent biting. 

As Doggone Safe acknowledges, we often misunderstand our pups. When a dog bites, we interpret this behavior in negative human terms, when to a dog, biting is a relatively normal and primal behavior. By learning to understand why dogs are motivated to bite in the first place, we can help reduce the risk that our pet will respond to situations with a bite or other threatening behavior.

Basic knowledge of your dog’s physical behavior can take you a long way towards preventing biting. Our sister organization, Morris K9 Campus, published a blog post in honor of Dog Bite Prevention Week about canine body language and how to read the signs that may lead to aggression.

Watch out for:

• Tail between the legs
• Whites of eyes showing
• Ears back, head down, or teeth bared
• Excessive yawning or licking
• Furrowed or tense brow

You can also help prevent biting or lashing out by avoiding situations that often make dogs uncomfortable. Avoid surprising your dog, especially while they are asleep, as they may react instinctively and bite. Do not approach a tethered dog or a dog that is chewing on a bone; even if you know the dog well, they may become defensive. Also avoid forcing your dog into a submissive position.

By keeping your dog comfortable and watching for these warning signs, you can help prevent your dog and others' pets from biting. Though they may be subtle, these signs are a dog’s way of telling us how they are feeling. If you watch for them, you can become more in tune with your dog’s likes, dislikes and overall well-being.

Dog Park Fun and Safety

Warm days are slowly approaching and that means it’s time to stockpile the car with Frisbees and tennis balls and take a trip to the dog park with your best canine. There is nothing better than a sun-filled day of fun at the dog park, watching your pup make all kinds of new friends. Dog parks provide a great environment for dogs that enjoy releasing some energy with other dogs. Great for socializing, these parks can also help shy dogs break out of their shells in a controlled setting.

But before you get TOO excited and run for the door, let’s first take a look at some really important safety tips and precautions that will make both you and your dog’s time at the park more enjoyable.

Animalbehaviorassociates.com and Morris K9 Campus both have excellent tips for dog owners who may or may not be familiar with dog parks. Here are just a few highlights:

·        Take an overview of the other dogs at the park before you enter. If you feel like it is a fun, safe environment, then go on and join the party. But if the other dogs seem rough or aggressive, it is probably best to skip the park and come back another time.

·         Be careful entering the park and introduce your dog gradually to the other dogs. Dogs already in the park get excited for the arrival of a new dog, so try to calm the situation by taking it slow. Allow the dogs to sniff each other through the gate and let your dog in when you feel they are ready.

·        And most of all, know your dog and be aware. The best thing you can do as an owner at a dog park is to pay close attention to your dog’s behavior for any signs of stress, aggression, fear, etc. You are at the park for your dog, not to just socialize with other owners, so keep your eye on your dog and make sure they are safe at all times.

Please take a look at other great safety tips for you and your dog located at the dog park to enjoy safe quality time with your best friend!

We are pleased to have Vin, as a contributing writer for If They Could Talk. Vin is a passionate dog owner. We look forward to sharing his contribution on interesting and educational pet topics.