Clean Run - July 2020 - 6

LISTEN TO

ME!

Picking Up on Your
Dog's Emotional Clues
By Tricia Hollingshead, photos courtesy of author

We love our dogs and do out very best to provide a home and an environment that will make them happy.
So why are so many showing signs of stress?
Theoretically, a dog has nothing to worry about; his food and shelter are provided for, and he is not exposed to
external dangers that threaten his survival. But dog behaviorists have never been in so much demand as they try to
rehabilitate dogs who are showing undesirable behavior-becoming over-dependent, frightened or even aggressive-
as they try to adapt to the lifestyles we are imposing on them.
But it doesn't have to be that way. In an exciting new book, Listen to Me, which explores the emotional life of dogs,
behaviorist Tricia Hollingshead focuses on the domestic setting to pick up vital clues which tell us how our dogs
are feeling and, more importantly, what we can do to help them.
In this extract, we learn how to play the detective and develop skills to interpret facial expressions and body language.
Playing Detective
If you have owned and loved a dog,
you know beyond any shadow of
doubt, that dogs are emotional beings.You know your dog has highs
and lows on a daily basis; there are
things he loves and situations he gets
excited about.You know his favourite
games, the person he greets most
exuberantly, and the person he settles
and relaxes with.You also know there
are things he hates and situations that
worry him - whether it's fireworks,
going to the vet, watching you pack a
suitcase or leaving him at home.
How do you know how your dog is
feeling? You may not think you are
an expert in canine communication
but by watching your dog, day in, day
out, you start to pick up the subtleties of his body language.You put this
into a context, observe his behaviour,
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and you can then make a very good
stab at guessing his emotional state.
Sometimes the signals are blatant
and unmistakable; the extremes of
emotion, such as anger, frustration,
fear, excitement, are easy to read. But
you will also be able to pick up on
tiny details which indicate a change
of mood-signs of contentment and
wellbeing, or a developing sense of
concern or discomfort. These will
become the cornerstone of understanding how your dog feels.
Body language is so much more than
tails, hackles, ears, teeth, growling and
barking. There are the tiny facial clues,
where the dog moves, the speed of
his movement and the tension within
his body.You will also be able to
pinpoint the more long-term effects,
such as what a dog does after a specific event and how his bodily biological functions are affected. Of course,

it's not a simple one plus one equals
two system but gauging the limitations and complexities of these clues
serves only to enhance your skill.
There are many emotional states
your dog experiences throughout his
life but if you recall a situation, and
the body language used, you will start
to build up a picture as to how he expresses his emotional state in physical
terms. Many of the signals and clues
you observe will overlap from one
emotion to another.Your dog may
only display a few of the clues or he
may be very clear and easy to read
but, with practice, you will become
expert at detecting the signals he is
sending out.
Interpreting the Clues
Dogs are not as uniform in shape as
humans; the short-coated, prick-eared,
tightly curled tailed Basenji looks very
Clean Run | July 20
https://www.cleanrun.com/product/listen_to_me_exploring_the_emotional_life_of_dogs/index.cfm
Clean Run - July 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - July 2020
