Dog Talk: They Talk Back

 

Dog Talk: They Talk Back

Matthew “Uncle Matty” Margolis

Whether confessional, emotional, baby-like or all business, we humans talk to our dogs. And as those of us paying attention know: They talk back.

They talk with their tails, with their ears, with their eyes, with their posture, with their bodies, with their tongues and with their voices. And unlike we humans, they say exactly what’s on their mind — no games, no mixed messages, no hard to get.

A woman called recently and told me her dog growls only when she kisses him goodnight.

Only when she kisses him goodnight? Great. Stop kissing him goodnight. Problem solved.

That’s not what she did.

She kept on kissing him goodnight, every night, again and again, until he bit her. Eight stitches on the face later, and she’s ready to listen.

Her dog warned her. He told her to knock it off. He said with his growl: I don’t like it when you do that, and if you don’t stop, I’m going to bite you.

In truth, he probably said it in more ways than one. The whites of his eyes might have been larger than usual. His body and tail probably stiffened. He likely lifted his head, nose in the air, and gave her a wide-eyed sideways stare. But she didn’t hear any of it — not even the growl.

When I asked her why she persisted in kissing him despite his obvious displeasure, she told me she loved giving him kisses and didn’t think he meant it.

Turns out, he did. They always do.

We can do our dogs and ourselves a great service by taking them seriously as the animals they are. And I don’t mean “seriously” as in all business, no play. To the contrary, play is an important part of being a dog. In fact, they employ postures and body language that say, “Hey, let’s play!” Recognizing a dog’s play bow helps dog owners distinguish between friendly play and a potential fight, say, at the dog park.

Taking our dogs seriously as animals means not pretending they are human. It means educating ourselves in the wonderful ways of dogs. It means learning how to communicate with them in ways they understand, and learning to listen to them in their many attempts to get their message across.

Recognizing changes in a dog’s eating habits and energy level informs a dog owner as to the possibility of a need for a trip to the vet.

Recognizing fear and anxiety in a dog can help a person pinpoint his triggers and gradually lessen their power over him.

Recognizing shy or antisocial behavior in a dog can serve as a guide to designing effective socialization techniques.

And recognizing the signs of aggression, whether isolated or general, will help protect you, your dog and others from harm. But recognition is only the first step. Acceptance is the next. At that point, you’re ready to move forward to eliminating or controlling the problem so it never gets worse.

Woof!