Category Archives: BODY LANGUAGE

… and it unfolds before my eyes!

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I love to watch dogs in motion, dogs interacting, dogs with their people. For me it’s like a dance. Sometimes beautifully choreographed, and sometimes like Dante’s Inferno. Nonetheless, a dance.

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I think the first part of the dance that is important is the use of space. Dogs have an amazing sense of space, when to give it and when to take it. Some are subtle, these are the real masters, and these are the dogs I really like to watch. There is always something to learn with these guys. Others are overt, explosive, and dynamic with space. These are the dogs that almost always tend to overwhelm everyone and everything in their environment. Fun to watch, but not a lot to learn. Well, I kind of take that back. When you see one of the overt space users, you learn that you can predict, with a fair amount of accuracy, who they are going to piss off first, and then second, and then third, before the owner gets involved. When I see these types of dogs coming I almost always find myself cringe just a bit, and maybe look sideways out of one eye. I just know what is going to happen in the not to distant future.

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The second part of the dance is timing. And that’s what dogs have in spades. It’s impressive beyond our comprehension.

I am someone who is super sensitive to space and timing. Perhaps that is why dogs and I get each other. Dogs don’t misinterpret my actions, and I don’t misinterpret theirs. If they are clear that they don’t want me in their space, cool, I don’t go any further forward, and visa versa. I guess space and timing are, in a way, equal to respect. Whether I have honed these skills through working with dogs (maybe some), or from playing sports most of my life (probably a bit), or working in the restaurant industry through most of my youth (for sure),  I can read a situation and react accordingly. One of the constant themes in e-mails that I receive from my YouTube channel is ‘… and your timing is kick ass!’.

By the way, because I am sensitive to space and timing, Costco on a Saturday afternoon is my living nightmare.

Which brings me to today! I was a few cars back waiting at a stop light off of Main street. On the corner was a man with a cattle dog. He was chatting away on his phone when I noticed his dog lay down, face away from the man, head lowered, body still, and eye stalk something. The man did not take notice.

Oh, this is fodder for my training soul! Just saying.

So I looked down the sidewalk a ways and here comes a young kid with ear buds in and looking deep in thought, and a jacked up young bully mix of some sort, that was straining on the leash, and staring at the cattle dog it was walking towards. Because this kid was walking in the direction of the corner, the young dog was being asked, unknowingly, to walk into the cattle dogs space, even with the cattle dog setting up on him, and giving him the “STOP DO NOT PASS GO!, STAY OUT OF MY SPACE” body language. Neither of the men were aware of what was about to happen, neither had looked in the direction of their dog that I could tell. I knew exactly what was going to happen. In. Two. More. Steps. This dance was about to hit the fan! The cattle dog got up and lunged, and at the same time the young dog lunged forward and was straining up on his back two legs. This all happened in about 5-7 seconds. Then the men started to pop and jerk and yank their dogs all around, apparently surprised in some way. Honestly, these might be the Costco shoppers that fry my nerves, I should have taken better notice of what they actually looked like! Cell phone guy never stopped talking, and literally dragged his cattle dog around the corner on its side. As the young kid crossed the street, and I was waiting to turn, I heard him say to someone in passing, “I can’t trust my damn dog” Oh. My. God.

As I drove off, I couldn’t help but think how beautiful that dance could have been with experienced handlers. Handlers that understand how to look at their environment and choose wisely. How to keep flow and motion, while also having an understanding of space and timing. How to work as a team with their dog, not set their dog up for failure. Dancing can be enlightening on so many levels.

It is moments like this that make me wonder why dogs even like us as a species.

May we all learn to dance, for our dogs sake! ~ Nancy

know your dog

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These days we live, sleep, and eat with our dogs, in the same house. We share the same air space, even with Mr. Farty Pants. Sometimes exercise together, and even socialize together. You would think that with this type of intimate living arrangement we would know more about our furry loved ones, but it isn’t always the case.

I truly believe our dogs know far more about us than we do them. They are masters of observation and routine. Because they don’t speak a human language they need to watch us carefully. Learn our patterns, habits, tone of voice, mannerisms, and body language. They learn what picking up our car keys means and respond accordingly. They know what we are going to do by the the clothes and shoes we put on. Some dogs even know what happens during certain times of the day. Ever watch a dog wait for their child to come home from school? They can sense our emotional state, and they learn to decipher our very confusing way of interacting with them. After all we aren’t the most consistent of living beings when it comes to communication. We don’t always mean what we say or say what we mean, that takes intention and practice. Sometimes I think our dogs just have to feel a bit upside down with us, thank god they are forgiving!

Taking the time to learn more about your dogs body language is the first step. Not information you gather at the dog park from an arm chair behaviorist, but from an accredited book or video.

Why are they slowing down when another dog is approaching? What does it mean when they are trying to avoid men when out walking? Is barking OK?

I think it’s easy to fall into the cookie cutter approach when handling a dog, and not really pay attention to the dogs style of communication.

Great observation skills and knowing your dog is way more important than a SIT.

Here is a story that clarifies how important it is to really know your dog -

It would suffice to say that more than a few years ago, I was working with a team that was concerned and scared that their dog was aggressive.

They made an appointment, filled out our history form, and came to meet with me. While their dog was in the car I read through their paper work, their information was scary to say the least. This dog on paper was a nightmare, and the owners were truly unraveled and had no idea what to do. They had been to another trainer before coming to me and were taught that they had to roll the dog over, growl in it’s face, scruff his face, and basically give him no freedoms, all of the basic crap that is nothing more than abuse. They were told their dog was dominant aggressive, pushy, overly confident, etc. But none of this was working, it was getting worse, in fact the damage this dog inflicted only happened after the heavy handed training started.

When we were all ready they brought their dog into our area. From the moment this dog exited the car there was fear language from nose to tale. I didn’t see a confident dog, or a dog that was trying to be pushy. I saw a dog that had been knocked off center some how and was terribly confused.

Stress was emanating from this dog, it was palpable. Eyes, ears, back, skin flicks, tail, gating, or the lack there of, all told a story. This dog was so uncertain, so confused, and fearful that I am sure up was the same as down.

We did a little work that day, but not much. This dog didn’t trust anyone. I gave the handlers a specific list for the week, what they needed to do, and how they needed to manage their environment.

This pattern went on for a few weeks before they felt he could come into our area again. When he did I saw a dog that had a bit more hold on itself. Still uncertain, the degree was a bit less. We were able to work together, he was able to look at me, and I could touch him briefly.

We made little by little progress over the next few months. What blossomed was this lovely tender dog that seemed to be grateful to have a few people understand, to hear between the lines so to speak. This dog had not an ounce of malice intent but had been put into a position to defend itself because no person was watching or really listening.

A lovely worker, a lovely companion, and a tender lovely soul. Once the handling and environment had been changed great work happened, for everyone. This dog is over twelve years now, I see him every now and again, and he still makes me smile. He taught me a great deal about listening. Yet another teacher in my life.

Nancy

 

oh she’s just doing that border collie thing … but she isn’t a border collie!

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Last night we had our Monday Night Walk from our new facility. There is an awesome trail system built and maintained by the Gallatin Valley Land Trust that meanders through homes, along the creeks, through the woods and beyond, simply awesome!

We had a great group last night. Vicki who lives in the neighborhood was our tour guide on this trail and took us to a wonderful swimming hole to cool off!

All of the trail systems in Bozeman are on leash, the signs are everywhere so it isn’t hard to miss. As we rounded a corner in the woods, a young lady was texting and didn’t see us coming, but her American Bull Dog did and went into a low predatory crouch and was stalking towards us. When I stepped in front of our group and asked her to get her dog, she responded with not only my dog is friendly, but went so far as to say, she is just doing that Border Collie thing. Minor jaw drop from me. She was actually nice when I explained that we had four dogs and needed to pass safely, and she put her dogs leash on right away.

Once her dog was on leash and we passed them I felt that I needed to explain to our group why that was inappropriate and why they need to be their dogs advocate first. I know I am a Mother Hen in this way, I own that, but bottom line, an American Bull Dog is not a Border Collie, and even if this young lady had a Border Collie it would still be wrong. A predatory stalk on people or other dogs is called locking and loading, it is the same gesture as pointing a gun at someone. It is meant to intimidate and cause fear. It is not a friendly gesture, that’s why stock animals move for Border Collies, it isn’t like saying please in any way shape or form.

NOTE – Always be your dogs voice when out in the human world, stand up for them and create a safe environment for them, even if it means that you need to ask someone else to be more responsible with their actions. Your dog deserves this effort!

We passed bicycles, joggers, baby strollers, about four other dogs. Polite trail users get a huge Thank You from me!

Get out, do more, be polite, and be your dogs advocate!

Nancy

what is your face saying?

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It’s all about the dog; dog training, dog body language, dog food, dog gear, dog behavior, dog tricks, dog etc. I believe that sometimes we are so focused on learning more and doing more that we over look some of the obvious moments with our dogs. Like what are we doing to encourage our dogs, or not doing and discouraging our dogs.

During our classes this week, we had some really cool discussions on handler body language. What are you telling your dog? Anyone that has done agility at the competition level knows, if you’re not consistent with your body language, you can look forward to the  train wreck on course.

What are your shoulders, arms, hips, knees and toes telling your dog? Does it look like your playing twister out there, or are you aligned and direct with your body so there isn’t any guess work? I play with three sports, freestyle, agility, and treibball. Consistency with my body language when I am working on directionals and distance are vital to success.

But what is missed so often, and is just as important in my opinion, is what our facial expressions are telling our dog. Have you ever seen a handler try to call their distracted dog with a nice voice, but their face is curled up in a knot of frustration because the dog isn’t coming? Guess what the dog might have seen? If I was a dog I would have to weigh that pretty carefully, ‘keep smelling this bush or go to scary person, keep smelling the bush or go to scary person… bush sounds better’.

Consistency in what we say, how we say it (tone), and what our body/face is expressing, is super important. Our facial expressions can open up a trusting working relationship with our dogs, they can also shut them down. Now I’m not saying to go around looking like a cheer leader all day, that would be just as freaky as frowning all day. But rather be honest in your expectations with your dog in regards to your communication. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard owners say, “my dog won’t come when I call her, she’s so stubborn”. When I stop and watch the whole picture, it is almost always the handlers body/face language that is actually keeping the dog away. Same thing with dog sports and working out the glitches, almost always handler error.

It really gets better once you acknowledge what you need to do in order to make things better and more consistent.

My daughter was kind enough to let me take these photos to give you an idea of the variety of facial expressions I see when people are working with their dogs. This isn’t exactly like the Sesame Street, which one of these is not like the other, they all might be valid within a specific context. But the context I am going to use is handler focus, working relationship, people interested in their dogs working with them not against them.

note – I don’t know the statistics on how many times we change our facial expressions per couple of seconds, but I bet it’s a lot. Keep in mind we are fluid and ever changing, this is just to assist handlers, and to be more honest and consistent with what they are telling their dogs. Sometimes tweaking the small stuff makes a huge difference!

Eyes to side, lips pushed forward and tight – no dog will willingly come to this. This face is stay away, even if the words were seemingly nice. Not a great face to encourage great performance. Handler needs to do something to relax and breathe and then start with their dog in a new space.

Eyes up and not engaging. This expression is a shut down of energy for dogs. Don’t believe me, go try it in your yard. If your looking to build more motivation with your dog, getting frustrated and rolling your eyes will not help.

Squinty tight eyes, crinkled brow/nose/lips. Dogs know the look of disgust. Again another shut down expression. If your dog does something that disgusts you, let it go and move on, this look will push your dog away.

This is the classic, the smile that never reaches the eyes. You may think you are being nice to your dog by smiling, and even a good faker of it’s OK, Really, but you don’t truly mean it if it doesn’t reach the eyes, and simultaneously, the heart. Ever had the experience with a person who does the fake smile with you, it doesn’t exactly leave you warm and cozy.

The look of disbelief, another shut down when working on motivation and the working relationship. let it go and move on.

Pretending to be happy by widening the eyes. Keep in mind, you can’t trick a trickster, they can sense the real meaning that something is not right. A good way to put a dog into conflict.

The smile meets the eyes, honest and sincere. A puppy would come to this every time. A great face to have when building motivation in performance work.

The smile meets the eyes with mouth open, the head slightly back, honest and sincere. A puppy would come to this every time.

Enjoy working with your dogs, be honest about what you are telling them, and encourage them with appropriate body/face language. It takes practice, but it’s worth it!

Nancy