People
tend to believe that dogs are ok with what's happening to, or around
them, as long as they're not growling, snarling, snapping or (if all
else fails) biting. The truth is that these 'more obvious'
communications only occur well after the dog had already exhibited a
series of silent behaviors to communicate their discomfort in the situation that
no one recognized, much less acted upon!
Every dog communicates using a common system. They're all born with it, it's always 'on', and every dog uses
it
constantly, as they make their way through life in a humans' world.
The good news is that they have a system through which to communicate.
The bad news is that most humans are completely oblivious to it, which
renders the system for so many, all but useless. Worse yet, ignoring the
sometimes subtle (and often silent!) signs of stress sets dogs up with
little choice but to use those 'more obvious' behaviors (like growling,
snapping or biting!) next time they're in the same, or similar
situation...and there's always a next time.
The canine communication system is designed to help dogs survive and stay safe from real or perceived threats.
I've placed emphasis on the word "perceived" because how any dog
perceives what's happening to, or around them, is all that matters to
them -- and their perception of things dictates their behavior. So even
if it doesn't make sense to you, honor your dogs perspective and pay
attention! A
deeper understanding of the more subtle (often silent) signals of
stress from your dog (or someone else's!) will help you to know when
it's time to help Fido or FiFi out of the situation - before they have
no choice but to growl, snap, snarl or bite!
Bites
result in tragic consequences for dogs as they are usually blamed, and
labeled as "aggressive" "unpredictable" or "bit for no reason" when in
reality nothing could be further from the truth. Had
someone with a true understanding of how dogs communicate been there to
recognize and respond to the clear and early signals of stress and
discomfort from the dog, the bite wouldn't have happened.
Bite
prevention is all about knowing what to look for in your dog's behavior
and body language so you can recognize when they're stressed at the
very earliest point, and intervene on their behalf. So, how can you learn more about your dog's communication system so you'll know what to look
for?
