Spring Is Almost Here.A month of Groundhogs and Valentines....Happy Valentines Day! Do your dog a favor and ditch the hugs and kisses. Children (and adults, too) often want to show love to dogs the way we show love to each other, through hugs and kisses. Dogs don’t naturally understand this, or even enjoy it. Hugs and face-to-face contact can be very threatening to dogs. A dog may tolerate this for a while, but at some point might bite or snap to protect himself once he’s given unheeded, subtle warnings. Parents should teach their children to avoid face-to-face contact with any dog (even their own dog) and to show love to the dog in ways other than hugging and kissing. Here’s some of our favorite ways to interact with dogs:
- Invite your dog to come to you for attention. If your dog turns away or moves away, respect his wishes and leave him alone. Many dogs like to be near you, but not necessarily to be touched, leaned over or hugged.
- Some dogs enjoy a scratch under the ears, shoulders as well as a nice back scratch. Most dogs don’t enjoy hands coming down on the top of their heads.
- Pet your dog and then stop. If he tries to get you to continue then you will know he likes it. If he walks away, take the hint (and don’t take offense!).
- Play games like fetch and hide and seek that do not involve chasing or rough play. We can teach you how to play tug with your dog in a way that’s not only safe but also teaches impulse control.
- Take your dog for lots of walks.
- Please join us at our next Body Language Seminar so that we can show you and your family acceptable and enjoyable ways (for both dogs and humans!) of interacting with your dog. You’ll learn to read dog body language so that you can understand what your dog is trying to tell you. It takes a bit of time to become ‘fluent’ in dog speak, but here are some basic examples:
An anxious dog might show a half moon of white in his eye, have his mouth closed, have a furrowed brow, may lick his lips or yawn. Many times they’ll turn their head away or even walk away. These signals indicate that he wants to be left alone.
A dog that suddenly goes stiff and still is very dangerous, and might be ready to bite.
Upcoming SeminarsFor complete descriptions of our seminars and playgroups, refer to the December 2014 issue of our newsletter: http://kathysantodogtraining.com/schedule/announcements-and-cancellations
Dog Body Language Seminar – Thursday Feb. 12th 8pm. How To Understand The Native Language Of Your Dog. This is a FREE Workshop - People only, please. PLEASE RSVP TO LIZ: [email protected]
DOG AND PUPPY PLAYGROUPS - EVERY MONDAY 6:00-6:45pm $25
RALLY BASIC REVIEW + RUN THRUS! Friday February 13th at 6pm. For those of you new to, or just getting started with Rally, Jerrie will review course signs and do a brief demo followed by actual run thrus at 6:30pm.
Upcoming SeminarsFor complete descriptions of our seminars and playgroups, refer to the December 2014 issue of our newsletter: http://kathysantodogtraining.com/schedule/announcements-and-cancellations
Dog Body Language Seminar – Thursday Feb. 12th 8pm. How To Understand The Native Language Of Your Dog. This is a FREE Workshop - People only, please. PLEASE RSVP TO LIZ: [email protected]
DOG AND PUPPY PLAYGROUPS - EVERY MONDAY 6:00-6:45pm $25
RALLY BASIC REVIEW + RUN THRUS! Friday February 13th at 6pm. For those of you new to, or just getting started with Rally, Jerrie will review course signs and do a brief demo followed by actual run thrus at 6:30pm.