Dog body language

[Caro Perry]

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It never ceases to amaze me how unoblivious some dog lovers are to doggy body language!

Harri is a friendly little chap but even he doesn't much like strangers being over familiar. He hates being stroked on the head especially if the hand comes from the front - he will tolerate it from me but it's clear he'd rather I didn't. If anyone else tries his ears go down, and he ducks his head away - it couldn't be more obvious if he yelled "don't touch me" but still they persist.

I had to rescue him today from a chap who leapt off his bike and enveloped him in a big bear hug! I know he's small and cute but honestly. If anyone was asking for a nip he was... Poor pup. Every part of his body language screamed let me go.

 

[JoanneF]

Timber is very head shy too. To the best of my knowledge he has never been beaten about the head (!) but he doesn't like strangers touching his head.

 

[Josie]

I have this problem a lot with Dennis too @Caro Perry - So many people get right in his face and talk really loudly saying things like 'you're a nice lad aren't you' or they're desperate to give him a big hug. Then if he barks at them they talk louder or continue to approach him. why

 

[doggie1]

I don't have that problem...

 

[Mad Murphy]

Benny would be backing up , growling, giving big whale eyes , tucking his tail down and there would still be the deaf blind and plain stupid people who laughed and said 'awww hes so cute I could just eat him up' What they didnt seem to realise was that he had designs on eating them if they didnt leave him alone.. Sometimes I had to physically put myself between him and people to make them leave him alone.
I wonder how these people would feel if another human walked up to them, talked about them loudly to someone else and then fondled them ?

 

[leashedForLife]

.

yes, it IS weird & often frustrating for owners, but think of the effect on the dogs - they learn that humans are intrusive, rude, & ignore clear signals to desist.
As noted above, it's very likely to cause even a friendly dog to escalate from warnings to nips or growls, in self-defense.

When most ppl lived on farms & horses were the primary local transport, with trains for long-distance travel, the vast majority of citizens, even in cities, had a good grasp of body-language in many species; even nonriders knew better than to spook a horse in harness or under saddle, & dogs were allowed to roam freely, so folks who didn't own them dealt with them daily, nonetheless.
Nowadays, some ppl are so far-removed from any contact with nonhuman species, their concept of "animal behavior" might as well be a fantasy straight out of Disney Studios, with lions wearing crowns & gamboling with lambs, mice who sing in 4-part harmony, & dogs who understand human language - & speak it, when ppl aren't around to hear.

"loss of contact with nature" is a very-sad modern syndrome. I'm so glad i grew-up on a farm, on a dirt road, with livestock, wildlife, woods & fields. Kids who live in cities today think a park is a wilderness - everything they see is paved, or surrounded by concrete or asphalt. They see single trees as isolated as islands in the ocean, & have no idea what a forest is, with many species, everything from fungi in the soil, to the seasonal tropicene birds in the trees & shrubs, the herbivores & predators of all sizes, great trees & small shrubs, vines & herbs, working together as a whole.
There are kids who think milk is "made" somewhere, not produced by a living creature with warm breath & feelings, & who don't understand that chickens have brains, & don't just come in shrink-wrapped styrofoam trays, skinless & featherless. It's pathetic.

- terry

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[JudyN]

It drives me crazy - Jasper is the sort of dog who will get his teeth out if he's not happy, and they can't see how he's feeling even if he's rolling his eyes and backing off. And they don't believe me when I point out that he's not happy and he might kick off. But it doesn't help that he will practically shove his head into their hands in the first place and say 'Hello I love you and do you have any treats?' And there's a fine dividing line between 'Ooh yes, that's the spot, scratch just there' and 'Don't you ****ing think about grabbing my collar, MATE!'

You'd think wearing a muzzle would help but no, they still stick their face within inches of his. I've toyed with the idea of trying a different style of muzzle...

 

[doggie1]

Benny would be backing up , growling, giving big whale eyes , tucking his tail down and there would still be the deaf blind and plain stupid people who laughed and said 'awww hes so cute I could just eat him up' What they didnt seem to realise was that he had designs on eating them if they didnt leave him alone.. Sometimes I had to physically put myself between him and people to make them leave him alone.
I wonder how these people would feel if another human walked up to them, talked about them loudly to someone else and then fondled them ?

View attachment 111975496

This dog is too cute for his own good!

 

[leashedForLife]

It never ceases to amaze me how UNoblivious some dog lovers are to doggy body-language!
...

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I'd bet, Caro, that U meant to write "oblivious" - as in unaware, ignorant of, etc.

If they were "un"oblivious, they'd both notice & comprehend the dog's signals - which sadly, they don't.
- t

.

 

[JudyN]

Then there's 'Oh look, his tail's wagging, he's friendly,' as Jasper and a cocky young male retriever with a strut in his step eyeball each other with their tails held high and moving slowly from side to side.......

 

[Caro Perry]

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I'd bet, Caro, that U meant to write "oblivious" - as in unaware, ignorant of, etc.

If they were "un"oblivious, they'd both notice & comprehend the dog's signals - which sadly, they don't.
- t

.

I think I got auto corrected. Yes you are quite right!