Caninecommunication with Julia Collins

Parlez Vous POOCH?!

Blogger andqualified‘DogListener ’ JuliaCollins reveals howtouch can helpustobondand communicatebetter with ourfurrypals

Ofthe fivesenses we possess, touchisprobably theone we aremostable to shareclosely withour dogs. Fewofushave failed to appreciatethe soothing, heart-warmingeffectofruffling or stroking thecoatof afriendly dog. It hasbeenprovenmany atimejust howtherapeutic thiscontactis forus. I wonder if tappingintothe clear,uncomplicated energy of ananimal,powerfully(if sometimes temporarilydueto ourtemperamentsandpriorities) feedsussomething we lack in ourhuman,drivenway of life? As wellasappreciatingthis b beautiful source of comfort, we canalsousetheartof touchto communicatewithour dogsin manyother ways.

Reassurance

Whileit’sunwise to ‘sympathise’ with afrightened dog, endorsing andjoiningwiththeir fear with ‘there,there,baby’ cuddling –it ishugelyhelpful to demonstrate calm, dependable leadership. A confident, reassuring touchand attitude invites anervous dogto join yourstronger,unaffected approach.

Instruction

Dogs veryeasilybecomefixated o on things. I have often foundit very effective to flick mydog on the shoulder or chest withthe back of my hand to bring their attention back to me and away from the distraction –be it somethingrunning on the horizon,the postman orbin men ’ s arrival, or obsession witha toy. This action can snap your furryfriend out of an obsessive‘I want it, I wantit’ mode by interruptingwith ‘Hey! Pay attention!’

Praise

Nearly allour dogs enjoy andappreciate an edible treat when they have successfully completeda task.Don’t we nearly always accompanythis with astrokeorpat?Wewant to convey ourpride,admiration, affection andpleasureand do so instinctively! If we bumpinto ourdog or accidentallystepona pawor tail, we automaticallysay sorry andcaressthedog,strokingthe head,gentlycradlingtheoffended area? I’msuremostdog owners recognisethecomfort adogcan give,leaningagainstus when we’rerelaxing, or even upset. To convey thedeep lovewe feel forour dogs, we smileatand touchthemmanytimes aday.In fact, Ibet youdosoasfrequently as youinteractwiththehumans sharing your home!Every timewe look into ourpet’s eyesandstroke theirsoft,warmcoat,aren’t we so, so luckytoexperiencethetrust andlovetheybeam back at us?!

Parlez Vous POOCH?!articles arealsoavailableonthe Oracle, anaudioinformation magazine forvisuallyimpairedlisteners, whichispartof Wymondhamand Attleborough TalkingNewspapers. To accessallthe Talking Newspaperrecordings, go to

www.watn.org.uk

Julia Collins @walksoflifessuffolk www.walksoflife.co.uk