By Peggy Casper
Dog parks are gathering places for dog and puppies to learn essential canine manners and social skills. An enclosed and closely supervised dog park provides an opportunity for your dog to run free, make new acquaintances, renew old friendships, romp, wrestle, sniff, and generally just enjoy being dogs. Regrettably, many owners have learned that not all social encounters at the dog park result in the kind of positive experience they had anticipated. A responsible dog owner must pay close attention both to their dog and the other dogs at the park and learn to recognize potentially dangerous situations. Learning to read canine body language is an invaluable resource to the owner. Understanding a dog’s body language requires a lot of observation and practice, facial expressions and stance can communicate a wealth of information. Learn and watch your dog to understand her behavior cues and stress signals.
Canine Body Language
Threatening behavior during greeting may include
Signs of stress and uncertainty
Threatening behavior during greeting may include
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Walking straight up to another dog (rather than approaching slightly from one side) |
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Charging |
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Head over the other dog’s shoulder during greeting |
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Eyes narrow or a hard stare |
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Ears forward or pinned back (in a dog with drooping ears the part of the ear closest to the head is raised to the alert position and the droopy part extends slightly outward, elephant style) |
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Tail straight out or pinned back |
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Barking, growling, snapping, lunging, and snarling |
Signs of stress and uncertainty
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Raised hackles (hair standing on end over the shoulders, back or behind) |
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A wagging tail (It is more difficult to read a docked tail) |
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Play bows (A dog’s front legs are lowered and his tail and behind are in the air) |
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Pawing at the air |
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Mouth open in a relaxed “grin” |
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Eyes and ears relaxed |
Threatening behavior during play
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Repeated body slamming, especially when only one dog is doing the slamming |
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Chasing, cornering, or crowding a dog |
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A group of dogs paying too much attention to or “picking on” one dog |
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Turning away of the eyes, head, or body |
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Moving slowly or in a circle |
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Sitting or laying down |
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Quick licks of the nose |
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Sniffing the ground |
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Yawning |
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Acting distracted or disinterested |
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Freezing in place until the potential for conflict passes |
1) Pay close attention to your dog and the others at the park. Don’t hesitate to steer clear of packs and “bullies”.
2) When you find dogs that get along well with your dog, ask their owners when they usually come to the park. You may find it worthwhile to coordinate your schedules.
3) From the outside, spend some time scanning the park before you go in. Examine the disposition and behavior of other dogs and if there is a dog whose conduct disturbs you, wait until he leaves.
4) Don’t be in a hurry to go in and turn your dog loose. Don’t go in if he is overly stimulated, this will just reinforce his craziness.
5) Don’t make the mistake of letting dogs or puppies play too long uninterrupted. Dogs, just like children, can get overly excited and out of control quickly.
6) Teaching your dog and quick and reliable “sit” or “down” can help diffuse a potential conflict with a pushy dog. If your dog does a quick sit or down, the other dog will usually calm down.
7) A dog park can be too much for
some dogs. Each dog has a different
tolerance level for meeting and greeting new dogs.
Get to know your dog’s comfort zone. Don’t force your dog to remain
in social situations that are obviously uncomfortable. If your dog is getting
stressed, arrange “play dates” with your friends who have dogs. Provide your
dog with safe playmates.
Knowing how your dog likes to play is important when it comes to choosing playmates. If you provide opportunities to play with appropriate partners, your dog will maintain her canine manners and social skills. The most important thing is to know your dog and to be observant Pay attention to the early signals. Remember it is your role to protect your dog, even when it comes to play. Your dog’s happiness, safety and comfort depend on you.
Dibra, Bash. Dog Speak, New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1999.
Dodman, Dr. Nicholas. Dogs Behaving Badly: An A-to-Z Guide to Understanding and Curing Behavioral Problems in Dogs, New York, NY: Bantam Books, 2000.
Dunbar, Ian. Dr. Dunbar’s Good Little Dog Book, Berkeley, CA: James & Kenneth Publishers, 2003.
Miller, Pat. The Power of Positive Dog Training, New York, NY: Hungry Minds, Inc., 2001
Moore, Arden, “Speaking Their Language”. Your Dog, Volume IX, Number 7 (July 2003): 7-9
Richmond, Mardi, “Picking Playmates”. The Whole Dog Journal, Volume 6, Number 7 (July 2003): 3-7
©2003 North American Bracco Italiano Club