Pack Leadership Technique 5: Read your dog's body language

Reprinted from FB / January 8 2017

Cesar's Way
https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-psychology/five-techniques/body-language/read-your-dogs-body-language

Zoey. Pictures are mine, not from Cesar's Way

Dexter & Zoey

Who wants to play ball, please, please...

While humans primarily use words to communicate, dogs use energy to communicate, expressing it through body language. To communicate with our dogs, we need to learn and adopt their 'language' rather than expecting them to learn ours.

One way to decode a dog's language is to remember that Energy = Intention _ Emotion. A dog's energy ' his intention and emotions, working together ' are communicated by his body language.

A dog's play bow to another dog illustrates how this works. The motion is forward, but the front of the dog's body is low to the ground. The intention (the forward movement) is excitement but the emotion (the low body) is friendly, so the energy is playful.

Related: Principle 1 for Achieving Balance: Be aware of your energy.

That means that similar behaviors can mean different things. For example, a happily excited dog and an aggressive dog may both move forward toward a person or other animal ' but one of them is playful and the other one is threatening. Likewise, a dog may run away in fear or it may run away to start a game of chase with another dog.

The important parts to watch are the head, ears, tail, and back. The higher these are, the more dominant a dog is feeling, and the lower they are, the more submissive or uncertain her feelings. Look also for tension in the dog's body, particularly in the back and legs. The more tense a dog is, the higher its energy level.

It can be easy to misinterpret a dog's energy, so develop a habit of close observation of their body language. For example, many people are afraid when a dog shows its teeth ' but an astute observer knows that when the teeth are together, with the ears pulled back along the head, eyes squinting, and the body is lowered and leaning away, the dog is actually showing submission. Likewise, a dog may come charging at you, but if its body is relaxed, its tail is level and wagging, and there's no tension in the body, then it is showing excitement, not aggression.

Dogs can't tell us in words what they're thinking and feeling because they don't have to. They're expressing themselves constantly through body language. Once we learn how to understand this, a whole world of communication with our dogs opens up.

Pack Leadership Technique 4: Master the walk

Reprinted from FB / January 7, 2017

Cesar's Way

https://www.cesarsway.com/dog-psychology/five-techiques/the-walk/master-the-walk?utm_content=sf49820516&utm_medium=spredfast&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=Cesar%27s+Way%2C+Inc.&sf49820516=1

Pack Leadership Technique #2 reminds us to provide exercise, discipline, and affection in that order. And the absolute best way to provide exercise and discipline for your dog is through the walk. Here's what you need to master it.

Pack Leadership Technique 2 reminds us to provide exercise, discipline, and affection in that order. And the absolute best way to provide exercise and discipline for your dog is through the walk.

To make the walk productive and bonding, you have to be the leader. This means that you're in front, not your dog. It helps to use a short leash with the collar up at the top of the dog's neck, where you have the most control. Keep your leash arm down and relaxed, with the leash loose. Don't grip tightly because that sends tense energy down the leash to your dog.

Avoid harnesses for the walk, because they tend to encourage dogs to pull. And take a pass on any kind of variable-length lead, as these put your dog, not you, in control.

Related: How to be the pack leader

The most important tool for the walk, though, is your calm, assertive energy. It's a transformative attitude that actually encourages your dog to follow you. This means being fully present for your dog. The walk isn't a time for texting or chatting on your phone.

Your dog must also be present for you. Sniffing and peeing are rewards your dog needs to earn ' so during first part of the walk, keep in constant motion, mimicking the forward movement of the pack in search of food. After establishing a good balance of leadership (you) and calm, submissive walking (your dog), you can relax a bit and let your dog sniff or mark the landscape.

Another skill for mastering the walk is reading other dog walkers from a distance. If their dog is out in front and pulling, and the person's energy seems anxious with weak and uncertain body language, it's possible their dog could exhibit some undesired behavior should you meet. It's better for you and your dog to avoid such encounters.

The walk is the perfect way to give your dog exercise, discipline, and some affection, as well as to establish rules. When you master it, you will have discovered the most rewarding and productive way to improve your relationship with your dog.