WORDS, WOOFS & MEOWS

from 2023 May Downeast Dog News

Training Your Performance Dog

by Don Hanson ACCBC, BFRAP, CDBC, CPDT-KA

• and teach others that dogs get to offer consent to interactions just as we do. it erupts into a fight. You will also know when the dog consents to interaction with you and others.

The best place to learn about canine behavior, emotions, and body language is in a class taught by a professional dog trainer or behavior consultant accredited by an independent testing organization. *

Other places to start your education on canine communication are these books: On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas, A Kids' Comprehensive Guide to Speaking Dog! by Niki Tudge, and Doggie

Language: A Dog Lover's Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend by Lili Chin.

How to Choose a Dog Wisely Equally important to learning about your dog is choosing the best dog for you. Remember, adding a dog to your home is a lifetime commitment. *

Dogs do not experience emotions-FALSE! Dogs smile in joy, run in fear, fight in anger, and can become very attached to one another and people. *

• Dogs must accept everything we do to them, even if it causes pain or fear-FALSE! I’m unsure if this belief is due to human ignorance or arrogance, but it is unacceptable and unethical. We need to be ready to stand up for our dogs

Canine

Emotions, Communication, & Consent

As primates, we tend to vocalize our feelings, often quite loudly. However, dogs use many body parts to communicate with one another and us, typically before barking or growling. This is how they show us what they are feeling and whether they consent to our coming closer or are asking us to stay away. When they vocalize, they are stressed to the max and on autopilot. *

Take the time to learn how a dog communicates visually. If you do, you can often get your dog out of a difficult situation before

Different dogs were bred for various physical and temperamental characteristics. For example, some breeds were specifically bred to be very gregarious around other dogs and people; others were bred to guard and be naturally suspicious of those outside their family unit. Dogs bred to be friendly will be less likely to get into an altercation. If you need assistance finding the right dog for you and your family, talk to a pet care professional who does not sell or rehome dogs. * Fear, an emotion often associated with reactivity in a

See DOG BITES on page 15

Don Hanson lives in Bangor, Maine, where he isthe co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop (greenacreskennel.com) and the founder of ForceFreePets.com, an online educational resource for people with dogs and cats. He is a Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB)and a Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP). Don is a member of thePet Professional Guild (PPG), where he serves on the Board of Directors and Steering Committee and chairs the Advocacy Committee. He is also a founding director of Pet Advocacy International (PIAI). In addition, Don produces and co-hosts The Woof Meow Showpodcast,available at http://bit.ly/WfMwPodcasts/,the Apple Podcast app, and Don's blog: www.words-woofs-meows.com.The opinions in this post are those of Don Hanson.