DOG BEHAVIOR

BODY LANGUAGE

WHALE EYE

• Whale eye refers to when a dog gives you a look in which the whites of the dogs eyes are showing.
• This is a fear response and means that the dog is uncomfortable.
• Move slow, use a quiet voice, and respect that the dog doesn’t want touched right now.

PAW LIFT

• Although a dog may lift their paw for a variety of reasons, a paw lift is often an indicator that the dog is feeling stressed or uncomfortable.
• Make sure the dog doesn’t feel cornered and keep momentum so the dog isn’t focusing on its fear.

LIP LICKING

• It is common for dogs to lick their lips when they are uncomfortable. This behavior often presents before a growl and is frequently paired with a paw lift, whale eye, or both.

YAWNING

• Do you ever notice your dog yawning when he’s excited? While dogs will yawn when they’re tired, they also yawn as one of the first indicators that the dog is stressed out.

TAILS, TAILS, TAILS

• You can tell a lot about how a dog is feeling by the manner in which they wag their tail.
• One of the most common things we hear before a dog fight or a bite is “but his tail was wagging”.

TAILS, TAILS, TAILS

• Dogs wag their tail slightly to the left when they are uncomfortable with a situation and slightly to the right when they are comfortable.
• A high, stiff wag means the dog is alert/tense.
• A low wag means the dog is nervous.

EAR POSITION

• Dogs ears change position depending on how they are feeling.
• Neutral position generally means a content dog.
• Ears that are perked means the dog is alert.
• Ears that are pinned can mean the dog is either scared/upset or happy depending on the accompanying body language.

EYES

• A happy dog generally has almond eyes and a soft, open mouth.
• A dog that is fearful or aggressive eyes will be bugged (remember whale eye?) or squinted with a furrowed brow.

WHAT ARE YOU SMILING FOR?

• Dogs don’t smile like people do. In dogs, smiling, whether with an opened or closed mouth is an anxious/fearful behavior.
• A tense closed mouth with the corners turned up or a dog full on bearing his pearly whites is not something to be ignored. The dog is very uncomfortable.
• Some dogs do show teeth in an anxious/excited manner when they’re happy.

GROWLING AND BEYOND

• Dogs generally exhibit a number of body language cues before growling or snapping, we just need to know how to identify them.
• A dog that growls is a dog that’s communicating well that it is uncomfortable. Never punish a dog for growling as this could create a dog that bites without warning.

BODY LANGUAGE

DON’T SCREAM!

• Sometimes when people are afraid or your dog is engaging in unsavory behavior, you just want to yell or scream at the dog.
• Yelling at a fearful dog, whether that be for a behavior like nervous peeing or reactivity to a person or animal, creates a more negative association with the already scary stimuli.

REALLY, DON’T SCREAM

• Screaming gets your dog amped up and more nervous. This can increase already unsavory behavior and create bad behavior when it wasn’t there to begin with. A firm “no” or “enough” is sufficient.
• Screaming during a dog fight or when a dog is being confrontational with you increases the likelihood of damage.

HOW’S YOUR ENERGY?

• Dogs know how we’re feeling better than we do sometimes and they feed off of these feelings.
• If your dog is reactive on walks and you get nervous when passing somebody, your dog will likely become more nervous than it may have been otherwise making the already bad behavior worse.
• Keeping calm, in control, and refraining from any sort of tension can make a world of difference in stressful situations for your dog.

APPROACHING NERVOUS DOGS

• DO NOT offer your hand to be sniffed. Dogs can smell far better than we can and don’t need your hand to sniff you out. The gesture is intimidating to nervous dogs and invites a bite.
• Avoid eye contact and even smiling with nervous dogs. When dogs are being confrontational with each other they hard stare and bare teeth. It’s very confusing to a dog when a scary stranger does his same thing.

APPROACHING NERVOUS DOGS

• The absolute best way to make friends with a nervous dog is to ignore it entirely. Don’t touch it, don’t look at it, don’t talk to it. Pretend it doesn’t exist.
• If you can’t help yourself, use low body language such as sitting or kneeling with your side to the dog. Do not sit in front of the dog looking head on as this is confrontational.

APPROACHING NERVOUS DOGS

• Offer treats! If the dog is brave enough to approach you, you can give treats from your hand.
• If the dog is too busy cowering or barking to approach you, throw treats behind the dog. This avoids putting pressure on the dog to approach you before it’s ready and helps you be perceived as non threatening. The dog will learn the treats are coming from you and approach you in its own time.
• Even if the dog doesn’t eat the treats, still offer them.

APPROACHING NERVOUS DOGS

• Be mindful not to place your hands or body in such a way that you are hovering over the dog as this is threatening.
• Nervous dogs are much more receptive to a chin scratch than a pat on the head.
• Keep your movements slow and deliberate as to not spook the dog.
• Remove any potentially scary accessories such as hats, sunglasses, or crutches.

APPROACHING NERVOUS DOGS

• The tone of your voice can make a big difference in making friends with a nervous dog.
• Some dogs prefer you not to speak while making friends while others, especially small dogs, enjoy high pitched inviting coddling.
• Many dogs are more fearful with men simply because they can be tall with deep voices which is intimidating to a nervous pup.

JUMPY, MOUTHY, & MISBEHAVED

• Dealing with what are often large puppies, inappropriately jumping and placing their mouth on you in a playful but sometimes still harmful way can be intimidating.
• Don’t run! Running away or even moving backwards when a dog is acting this way will increase play drive and make behavior worse (don’t scream either).

JUMPY, MOUTHY, & MISBEHAVED

• Although it seems counterintuitive, you want to actually move towards the dog when it is jumping on you. If the behavior is overt sometimes it’s necessary to put a knee up to protect yourself (not kneeing the dog).
• Keep your hands to yourself. Pretend you have a sweatshirt on and keep your hands in your pockets. Dogs don’t speak with their hands and when in this state are likely to use them as toys.

JUMPY, MOUTHY, & MISBEHAVED

• If your dog decides that you’re a fun chew toy during its jumping fits, it is your responsibility to redirect the behavior.
• Tell your dog what you want it to do as opposed to what you don’t want him to do. Replace your arm with a chew toy for example. Instead of saying “stop”, ask your dog to “sit” or “shake” to break your dogs attention.

REDUCING ANXIETY

PHYSICAL EXERCISE

• Know your breed- working breed dogs such as Border Collies, German Shepherds, and Huskies require significantly more physical and mental stimulation than breeds such as English Bulldogs and Golden Retrievers.
• For most dogs, 2 walks consisting of one 15min walk and one 30min walk per day provides enough exercise to keep negative behaviors at bay. Working breed dogs require closer to 2hrs of exercise per day.

PHYSICAL EXERCISE

• While hanging out in the yard with you all day is great, a dogs backyard does not provide an equal amount of stimulation as going on a walk or a run.
• New scents and scenery provide your dog with a substantial amount of mental exercise as well practicing tricks such as heel and sitting at crosswalks.

MENTAL EXERCISE

• 10min of learning a new trick or playing mentally stimulating games is equivalent to a 30min walk. This can be a great tool in the winter months or for people that work excessive hours.
• The more your dogs brain is kept busy, the less energy your dog has to exert towards negative behaviors.

SAY NO TO FOOD BOWLS

• Left to their own devices, dogs would spend about 90% of their time hunting and foraging for food. We turn this into a 30 second ordeal and then wonder why they’re bored.
• There are many fun, inexpensive alternatives to food bowls that can help keep your dogs mind busy and reduce general anxiety.

SNUFFLE MATS

• Snuffle mats are a fun and easy way to keep your pups mind busy.
• They can be purchased or easily made with a rubber mat and strips of felt.
• The food is scattered over the mat and buried under the felt. Your dog then needs to forage through the strips to find it’s meal.

KONG WOBBLERS

• Kong wobblers are a personal favorite for feeding games. The kong unscrews and can fit a full feeding inside. The bottom is filled with sand and acts as a weeble wobble while the dog knocks out just a couple kibble at a time through a small opening.

FROZEN MEALS

• Frozen meals are free and easy but can be messy so best served outdoors or in a crate.
• Simply put kibble in a metal bowl (feel free to mix in treats and other goodies like peanut butter) and fill with water until flush with the food. Freeze overnight. When you’re ready to feed, run warm water over the back of the bowl and you’ll wind up with a dog food popsicle.

NOTHING IN LIFE IS FREE

• The nothing in life is free program entails portioning out your dogs food for the day and giving kibble as the reward instead of treats.
• When your dog sits, stays, heels, goes potty outside, or does any favorable behavior give him a couple pieces of kibble.
• Make sure to switch up your feeding tools here and there so your pup doesn’t get bored!

MIND GAMES

• Simply spending 10min learning or perfecting a new trick such as speak or rollover can help provide your pup with much needed mental stimulation.
• The “find it” game is a great tool to keep your pup busy. Start in a doorway where your pup can’t get past you and throw a handful of treats. Wait until you have your dogs full attention and say “find it”. Over time you can build up to hiding the treats under boxes and more.

STILL STRUGGLING?

• Extra anxious/high energy dogs sometimes need a bit more help.
• Try adding a doggy backpack and fill it full of water bottles for your dog. It will make the walk more tiring and help your dog feel like he has a job to do.
• Thunder shirts can work wonders providing a sense of comfort for anxious dogs. Use a bit before stressful events and also intermittently during calm times so the dog does not associate the shirt with the negative stimuli.

STILL STRUGGLING?

• When all else fails supplements or even medications can be necessary to help manage anxiety.
• Natural supplements such as melatonin or pheromones such as adaptil can help manage anxiety for some dogs. Purina also has a new probiotic out called Calming Care that has very good reviews in regards to reducing anxiety.
• Long term and short term anxiety medications are available as a last resort. Speak to your veterinarian about your dogs specific needs.

SEPARATION ANXIETY

AVOIDING SA BEFORE IT STARTS

• What do we want to do when we get a new pup? We want to take a week off work, let him jump all over us and snuggle in bed, and parade our new pup around to our friends and every pet friendly store in town.
• The first couple of weeks with a new dog is so important. You are setting precedents for future behavior. Follow these simple guidelines to help mold an anxiety free, well behaved pup.

AVOIDING SA BEFORE IT STARTS

• From day 1, leave your dog alone for a bit of time each day. If you did take the week or weekend off to acclimate your new pup, make sure he knows you will be leaving sometimes.
• Enforce all rules from day 1. If you don’t want your dog to sleep on the couch, don’t let him do it the first day because he’s scared in a new place as this is confusing for the dog.
• Keep the first 2 weeks low key, not a lot of people coming over and not a lot of going out. Your dog needs to settle into the routine first.

SO, MY DOG ATE MY HOUSE

• Crate training is your friend. While many of us feel bad for locking our dogs away, plenty of dogs enjoy their crates and treat it as a bedroom hanging out in there when the door is open.
• Crates provide safety for your belongings and also for your dog if your pup happens to be the type to ingest foreign objects.
• Crates also assist with potty training and can help with peace of mind regarding destructive behavior while deeper issues are addressed.

SO, MY DOG ATE THE CRATE

• For some dogs with SA, crates increase feelings of anxiety and the dog may eat the bedding, tray, or injure itself trying to escape.
• For dogs that eat their bedding, try filling the bottom of the crate with balled up newspaper. This gives the dog an outlet to release that anxiety in a safe manner. As always make sure that chew toys are also present.
• For dogs that eat the tray or try to injure themselves, crating is likely not the best approach.

MODERATE- SEVERE SA

• For dogs with more severe separation anxiety, crating can actually increase anxiety. Try gating off a safe room such as the kitchen and dog proofing as much as possible. Dogs like this generally do much better left loose.
• Uncoupling departure cues is a major factor in managing SA. If your dog freaks out when you grab your keys or put your shoes on, do both of these things and then sit on the couch for a half hour. Over time the dog will stop associating these cues negatively.

MODERATE- SEVERE SA

• No big hellos or big goodbyes! Ignore your dog entirely for 15min before leaving your house and 15min after coming home. When we get our dogs amped up when we’re coming and going they develop anxiety about those events.
• Exercise, exercise, exercise!! Especially if you know you’ll be gone a while, make sure your dog receives enough exercise that he’s tired, however much that takes for your specific dog.

THE KONG PROTOCOL

• Purchase a large kong, fill it with something extra special (liverwurst works really well) and freeze it.
• Give your dog the kong and give him a moment to get into it before walking into the other room for just a minute or 2. Take the kong back BEFORE THE DOG IS FINISHED and put it back in the freezer. Over a period of weeks slowly increase distance to other rooms, upstairs, and even outside but always retrieving the kong before it is finished.

THE KONG PROTOCOL

• It is imperative to always take the kong before the treat is finished so that the dog looks forward to you not coming back so he doesn’t lose his treat.
• If you just give the dog a kong and leave it will just become another departure cue such as picking up your keys.
• Take this exercise as slowly as your dog requires. It may seem like it’s taking forever to gain progress but good things are worth working for! Once you can leave for an hour without issue, the bulk of your dogs SA issues should now be minimal.

WHAT NOW?

• When all else fails, additional aids such as thunder shirts, natural supplements, and sometimes even anxiety medications may be necessary to help work through separation anxiety. These tools are just bandaids and must be used responsibly along with behavior modification techniques.

LEASH REACTIVITY

TRAINING YOURSELF

• You need to maintain a calm energy when passing stimuli that you know your dog may react to. If you’re anxious, your dog will also be anxious and will likely interpret that you’re scared of the same stimuli he is.
• Avoid putting tension on the leash especially when passing triggers. To your dog, this is the equivalent of someone grabbing your arm in a dark alley. If you weren’t scared before you sure are now.

RESPECTING BOUNDARIES

• Your dog does not have to want to interact with every person or pup that he meets.
• Can you imagine if every person you met on the street came up and hugged you? While certain personality types might enjoy this, others may develop such anxiety about walking that they don’t want to leave the house.
• Allowing strangers to pet your dog when it’s uncomfortable compounds these fears and creates negative behaviors. Simply inform people the dog doesn’t want pet right now.

COUNTER CONDITIONING

• Counter conditioning means forming positive associations with a previously negative stimuli.
• The key to effective counter conditioning is staying below threshold. Threshold is the tipping point when your dog begins to exhibit negative behavior.

COUNTER CONDITIONING

• Just before your dog reaches threshold you should be able to see his body language change. Maybe the dog tenses up, pauses, stares, or lifts a paw.
• In this moment, before the dog starts barking, shove your pups face full of high value treats like hot dogs and move away from the scary stimuli.
• Not every dog is the same and some pups might be more driven by a squeaky toy or affectionate than they are by food. You know your dog and what motivates them the most.

COUNTER CONDITIONING

• Slowly over time you will be able to decrease the distance between your dog and the scary stimuli while still staying below threshold. This may take weeks or months depending on your dog but if you’re dedicated, the change will happen.
• Eventually you will actually rewire your dogs brain to form positive associations with the formerly negative stimuli. Your dog will learn that strangers and passing dogs aren’t so bad because they equal yummy treats.

FEAR AGGRESSION

TRAINING YOURSELF

• Check your energy. Ever notice how your reactive dog acts differently when someone you know well comes over vs an unexpected visitor (like a solicitor) or someone you’re trying to make a good impression with? This is because the dog is feeding off your anxiety or lack of.
• Don’t scream! When you yell at your dog for barking, he just thinks you’re yelling because of the visitor too and this will only cause further anxiety. If a firm “no” or “enough” doesn’t cut it, stop scolding your dog for barking.

TRAINING YOUR GUESTS

• Fearful dogs don’t want to be touched initially EVEN if they approach the visitor to sniff them out. Ask your guests to completely ignore the dog as if he doesn’t exist. Don’t touch him. Don’t talk to him. Don’t look at him.
• Hang a basket with treats on your front door with a note that reads “Please give the dog a treat”. Over time the dog will learn that strangers equate to treats and are not a threat.

TRAINING YOUR DOG

• In order to teach a dog “quiet” you must first teach it to “speak. Maybe knock on your own door or counter to encourage your dog to bark, say the command “speak” and treat. When the dog stops barking tell the dog “quiet” and treat. Once your dog catches on to the commands it will be easier to limit barking in a controlled manner and in a way that is fun for your dog.

CREATING A SAFE ZONE

• Set your dog up a spot such as his bed or open crate where he can see visitors but is out of the way and not in the line of traffic.
• This is your dogs safe zone and nobody is to bother him while he’s in his place, especially not guests. Your dog needs to know that he is secure in his place and that nobody is going to try to pet him or even talk to him while he’s there.

TEACHING PLACE

• Encourage your dog to check out the safe zone you’ve created, give the command “place”, and reward your dog with a high value treat for going to it. Repeat this many times until your dog begins to catch on.
• Once your dog has a reliable place command you can start putting it to the test. Start with someone that lives in the household and have them enter while you tell your dog place and reward with many high value treats. Work your way up to less familiar people over time.

BUT MY DOG BITES

• If your dog has bitten a stranger entering before or you’re afraid he might, use some sort of barrier or restraint while perfecting place. Baby gates are a great tool but closing the crate door or keeping your dog leashed until you’re sure he’s calm and listening may be necessary (at least to keep your anxiety low) while perfecting the practice.

ACCEPTANCE

• Sometimes even when we do everything right, our dogs still have issues. Genetics play a role in our dogs behavior just as much as their environment and upbringing. You may never have a dog that wants to cuddle every stranger that walks in and that’s ok. Leaps and bounds can still be made with dedicated, consistent training.

RESOURCE GUARDING

ESTABLISHING LEADERSHIP

• Your dog needs to understand that you’re the boss. Keeping a calm yet firm energy is imperative. Alpha dogs do not display excessive outburst of fear or aggression but calmly take control of the situation. Yelling at your dog for growling over a bone only lowers your place on the totem pole.

3 EASY STEPS TO LEADERSHIP

• #1) You go first. Your dog is never to cut in front of you walking through a door way.
• #2) You eat first. Do not feed your dog from the table and finish your dinner before getting your dog his.
• #3) You sleep higher. If your dog guards he should not be allowed on furniture or to sleep in bed. This might be a hard habit to break if the dog has previously been allowed but it is necessary.

GUARDING FOOD

• DO NOT try to take your dogs food from him! Your dog is growling because he’s afraid you’re going to take it. If you do so you are just compounding his fears and worsening the behavior. Also it’s dangerous.
• Instead stand a few feet (below threshold) from your dog and toss a few high value treats in the bowl while he’s eating and then walk away. Overtime you will be able to decrease distance and eventually your dog will form positive associations with having you near his bowl.

GUARDING TOYS

• Limit your dog to only 1 toy at a time and pick it up when not in use. This establishes the toys as yours instead of the dogs.
• Work on trading the toy out for either another toy or a treat. When the dog drops the existing toy say “drop it” and give a high value treat or toy. This is a safe way to teach your dog to let go of things you don’t want him to have and form positive, consistent associations with giving up his toys.

GUARDING FURNITURE

• This one is pretty simple, don’t let the dog on furniture. Set him up a nice bed on the floor.
• Tell the dog “off” or “down” before he actually jumps up on the couch or bed. Commands are much more effective when given before the actual behavior takes place.
• If your dog is still learning the new rules and does not respond to voice commands, attach a leash and calmly help the dog off the furniture and over to his bed. The dog needs to learn that being on furniture is unacceptable.

GUARDING BONES

• If you have a dog prone to significant resource guarding behavior, limit the use of bones and other high value goodies like pig ears. This is where acceptance comes in. Don’t give your dog that guards a bloody marrow bone and expect him to be a good boy.
• When your dog does get these sort of treats, give him his own space such as a crate or spare room where he can enjoy his treat safely and in peace.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

TOOLS OF THE TRADE

• Bite gloves, catch poles, and slip leads are some of the many tools used by doggie professionals for scared or difficult dogs.
• If you know how to use a slip lead properly and effectively, bite gloves and catch poles should not be necessary.

ALL ABOUT SLIP LEADS

• Slip leads are an excellent tool for a dog that is not ready to be handled but needs to be.
• Attach a second leash to the ring of the slip lead and try to coax the dog with a treat to put its head through the loop. If the dog is not cooperating, you may need to throw the loop over the dogs head.
• Once the leash is firmly around the dogs neck you can now safely coerce the dog to the new location. When it is time to release the dog, pull the second leash to loosen the lead.

DEFENSIVE DOG HANDLING

• Once the dog is on a slip lead, if it does try to jump on you or bite you, you can manage the behavior by choking up on the leash and holding your arms straight up while keeping the dog on his hind legs.
• It will be scary and the dog may spin and thrash but as long as you maintain your hold the dog cannot get you.
• Once the dog settles promptly get him to a safe location such as a kennel.

DEFENSIVE DOG HANDLING

• If the dog is overtly aggressive and repeatedly trying to attack, it may be safer to walk the dog with 2 people and 2 slip leads.
• If each persons holds a slip lead firmly on either side of the dog, the dog cannot reach either person.

BREAKING UP DOG FIGHTS

• The wheel barrow method is thought to be the most effective method for breaking up a dog fight. Best done with 2 people each person grabs the back legs of a dog, lifts them off the ground, and walks in a semi circle towards each other. Once the dogs release, continue walking backwards but in a circular motion (to keep the dog from redirecting on you) until at a safe distance where you can regain control of the dog.

BREAKING UP DOG FIGHTS

• If the wheel barrow method is ineffective and the dogs won’t release a break stick (or something similar like a wooden door jam) may be necessary. This is a slim wedged object that is slid between the rear molars of the aggressor and then turned to force the dog to release long enough to free the other dog.
• Be sure the dog is truly holding on and isn’t going to redirect and bite you before getting that close to a dogs mouth in a fight.

ANY QUESTIONS?