Caninecommunication with Julia Collins

ar e o s POOCH !

Blogger andqualified Dog istener ’ uliaCollins reveals howtouch can helpustobondand communicatebetter with ourfurrypals

fthe fivesenses we possess, touchisprobably theone we aremostable to shareclosely withour dogs. ewofushave failed to appreciatethe soothing, heart warminge ectofru ling 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 wellasappreciating this 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,una ected approach.

Instruction

Dogs very easily become fixated o on things. I have often foundit very e ective 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 hori on,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 withastrokeorpat Wewant to convey ourpride,admiration, a ection andpleasureand do so instinctively! If we bumpinto ourdog or accidentallystepona pawor tail, we automaticallysay sorry andcaress thedog,strokingthe head,gentlycradlingtheo ended area I’msuremost dogowners 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’seyesand stroke theirsoft,warm coat, aren’t we so, so luckytoexperience thetrust andlovetheybeam back at us !

Parle Vous P CH !articles arealsoavailableonthe racle, anaudioinformation maga ine forvisuallyimpairedlisteners, whichispartof Wymondhamand Attleborough Talking Newspapers. To accessallthe Talking Newspaperrecordings, go to

www.watn.org.uk

Julia Collins @walksoflifessuffolk www.walksoflife.co.uk