Whiskers, also known as vibrissae, play a crucial role in your dog’s perception of the world around him and trace back to his breed’s ancestry. For example, hounds and terriers have longer, more pronounced whiskers, while other breeds without the genes for hunting and tracking may have shorter or less-prominent whiskers.

While whiskers may vary in appearance across breeds, all dogs have them and understanding their function will help you make informed decisions about their care and answer questions such as should you cut your dog’s whiskers (no!).

Why Do Dogs Have Whiskers?

Whiskers are sensitive and embedded in follicles that connect to nerves, allowing dogs to detect even small movements and changes in their environment. The role of whiskers includes:

• Navigation. Whiskers help dogs navigate their surroundings by providing information about objects, obstacles, and potential threats. This is particularly important in close quarters because dogs’ sense of sight is better suited for longer distances. Supplemental vibrissae extensions have even been found to assist blind dogs
• Sensory awareness. Whiskers are sensitive to touch and pressure, detecting even the faintest breeze or the presence of nearby objects, enabling dogs to react quickly to changes in their environment.
• Detecting prey. In their primal days, whiskers were crucial for hunting. They helped dogs detect prey, track their movements, and avoid obstacles in the dark.
• Expressing emotion. Along with body posture, tail position, and vocalizations, whiskers play a subtle role in expressing a dog’s emotions. For example, when a dog is relaxed, their whiskers typically rest in a natural position. If a dog is curious, whiskers may become more erect or twitch. When a dog feels threatened or aggressive, their whiskers might flare out sideways or downward, indicating discomfort or a readiness to defend themselves.
• Protection. Whiskers can serve as a protective mechanism. For example, those near your dog’s eyes may trigger a reflexive blink when they are touched, helping to shield the eyes from potential harm.

Can You Cut Dog Whiskers?

While your dog’s whiskers will grow back if you cut them, it’s important to remember that you’re compromising their sensory abilities. Trimming whiskers might tempt you for aesthetic reasons, especially if you’re showing your dog and need to meet specific requirements.

“If you touch his whiskers, your dog will often reflexively blink because of the information the whisker transmitted to the brain: Something is near the face, protect the eye! Whiskers serve an important sensory and protective function for your dog,” says Syracuse, N.Y., veterinarian and Whole Dog Journal contributor Dr. Andrea Lee. This sensory area is particularly concentrated in the regions associated with whiskers, which highlights their importance for a dog’s neurological function.

If your dog’s whiskers are becoming overly long or matted, consult with a professional groomer who can trim them carefully without compromising their functionality. Your veterinarian can also provide advice on how to maintain your dog’s whiskers and keep them clean and healthy.

The post Why Do Dogs Have Whiskers and Should You Cut Them? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Classic signs of the Flehmen response are:

• Curled-back and raised upper lip, often with wrinkles near the nostrils
• Raised head
• Exposed teeth, possibly with chattering
• Open mouth

However, you may not always notice the Flehmen response in a dog.

Horses are widely believed to have the obvious Flehmen response with a marked raised upper lip, wrinkled nostrils, and a raised head. In dogs, says a study published in 2022 in Animals, it’s not as easy to identify:  “The typical Flehmen reflex is not observed in dogs and cats because their upper lips are too rigid and firmly fixed via the frenulum to permit this type of movement. These animal species exhibit different attitudes of behavior, namely they assume a position with an upright head and neck, which they stretch forward for a short time.”  In dogs, say the researchers, there often is a rapid retraction of the tongue that likely aids in the perception of pheromones.

This doesn’t mean dogs don’t do the Flehmen response (they do, read on). It just means it isn’t always obvious to an onlooker.

Jacobson’s Organ in Dogs

The open-mouth part of the Flehmen response allows Jacobson’s organ to be maximally involved. Jacobson’s organ, also known as the vomeronasal organ, consists of sensory cells in the front of the nasal cavity, just behind the incisors (the little teeth in front between the long canines, or fangs). Danish physician Ludwig Levin Jacobson identified Jacobson’s organ in 1813.

Jacobson’s organ detects nearly seemingly scentless things like pheromones. If pheromones are detected, the organ sends the information to what some experts call a “secondary olfactory organ” in the brain to trigger the mating instinct. Australian scholar Michael Stoddard published a paper in Nature (2000) that called the organ a “sixth sense.”

Dog’s Amazing Ability to Detect a Scent

It is possible that a dog who is panting more out of interest or excitement rather than fatigue may be using that open-mouth, tongue-out posture to bring more air past Jacobson’s organ to help identify a smell. Experts continue to be amazed at what dogs can find by smell. A dog’s ability to detect a scent is said to be 10,000 to 100,000 times that of a human, according to a 2018 research study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

Recent studies show that dogs can detect not only specific scents of drugs or explosives, but dogs can also note changes in emotions and human cell metabolism during various illnesses, including COVID-19 infection. And, of course, dogs are critical in the search for a missing person.

It’s interesting to note that scent work is a fast-growing sport. Both humans and dogs appear to be enjoying doing nose work (or scent work) competitions. Noting and tracking a scent is like reading a newspaper to dogs—it’s information. That love of smelling things is one of the many reasons experts encourage us to allow our dogs to sniff about when we’re on walks.

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As certified behavior consultant and trainer Pat Miller wrote in her article “Tell-Tail Signs: What’s Your Dog’s Tail Language?”, just because a dog’s tail is wagging doesn’t necessarily mean it’s happy.  It simply means the dog is stimulated. It certainly may be happiness or excitement that’s the stimulation, but it could also be anxiousness, fear, or even aggression. (Yes, contrary to popular opinion, an angry dog approaching you could also be wagging its tail. Just ask someone who’s been bitten by a tail-wagging dog.) You need to carefully observe the dog’s entire body to reach any kind of meaningful conclusion about what that wagging tail really means.

Think of it in human terms: while we may use our hands to gesture, those gestures can have a variety of meanings, depending on the context. We might be pointing toward something, we might be explaining how tall or short or long something is, we might be gesturing while telling a story, we might be using our hands to communicate our excitement or love or even dislike. Yet even though these kinds of gestures are linked to communication, other gestures can be instinctive and spontaneous, not something we do intentionally. The same could be said for dog tail-wagging.

How Did Tail-Wagging Evolve?

Four European researchers recently investigated over 100 past studies on dog tail-wagging to see if any patterns emerged that would give a single, conclusive answer as to how dog tail-wagging evolved, as well as what it means. That research led them to develop two main theories about the evolution of tail-wagging: first, that over the tens of thousands of years that humans worked to domesticate dogs, breeding them for traits like friendliness and tameness, we unintentionally selected for tail-wagging because it was linked to those positive characteristics.

The second theory that emerged was that we bred dogs for tail-wagging because of an innate yet unconscious human appreciation for rhythm. “Perhaps because humans have this sort of propensity for rhythmic themes, we were actually breeding dogs that wagged more,” explains Taylor Hersh, one of the study’s authors. “We may not have been aware that we were doing it.”

The Many Meanings Behind Tail-Wagging

So, why do dogs wag their tails? No one doubts that dogs wag their tails to communicate, but beyond that, opinions range far and wide.

For instance, some research suggests that the directionality of a tail-wag can express a dog’s emotional state: a tail that wags more to the right may suggest the dog is curious and wants to approach, while wagging to the left can mean the dog is uncertain or wants to retreat.

The position of a dog’s tail can hint to its general mood and feelings as well, say other researchers. For instance, according to veterinarian Dr. Brittany Grenus, graduate of Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, when a dog is showing happiness or friendliness, their tail will be either parallel to the ground or held slightly upward or downward and wagging in sweeping side-to-side movements. “The more excited a dog is, the faster their tail typically wags,” she says, and in times of extreme excitement, you’ll often see what can only be described as a whole-body wag.

On the contrary, a tail held low, pinned down against or tucked between a dog’s back legs, strongly indicates insecurity and submission. Sometimes, that low position can be accompanied by a fast wagging motion that’s only at the tip, which tends to show that the dog is anxious, fearful, or perhaps wants to appease another dog.

Do Other Animals Wag Their Tails?

Dogs aren’t the only mammals that wag their tails, but they are by far the species that does it the most. While dogs wag primarily to communicate, other animals “wag” their tails for different reasons: whales swing their tails in order to move through the water; horses, cows, as well as many wild animals like moose, elephants, zebras, and giraffes use their tails to swat away flies and other pests; flying squirrels glide from tree to tree by moving their flat tails like rudders; white-tailed deer often wag their tails in alarm or when they’re about to run from a threat.

You might think that because dogs are descended from wolves, wolves might also be tail-waggers, but generally, the answer is no. While wolves frequently use their tails to communicate, they score almost at the bottom of the persistent-tail-wagging scale when compared to their evolutionary heirs. While subordinate wolves will wag their tails during reunions after separation, Taylor Hersh explains that “What we don’t see in wolves is this huge amount of tail wagging across a variety of situations. In wolves, it’s mostly confined to a submissive individual signaling to or appeasing a dominant individual. They’ll wag their tails slowly and often pretty low.” What you’ll never see in wolves is the I’m-so-happy-I-could-burst kind of tail-wagging we see in our domestic dogs.

Some people also believe that foxes and coyotes wag their tails, but again, researchers have never been able to confirm this. In fact, in Portland, Oregon, where coyotes are pervasive, the Portland Urban Coyote Project states that “You’ll never see a coyote’s tail held high or wagging. If you see that, you are probably looking at a dog.”

Foxes will hold their tail high in signaling to other foxes, and fox cubs will shake their tails rapidly while begging their parent for food, but there’s no evidence that foxes actually “wag” their tails.

The Future of Tail-Wagging Research

While we know a fair amount about why dogs wag their tails, further research could have a number of advantages. For instance, learning more about tail-wagging behavior could have profound animal welfare impacts. A case in point is the practice of tail-docking, which many researchers and animal ethicists say not only causes unnecessary pain, it also may have an adverse impact on a dog’s ability to communicate with other dogs. At the same time, it negatively affects a dog’s balance and support.

Additional research into why dogs wag their tails would certainly allow us to understand more about dog behavior and their interactions with both humans and other dogs and will help close the gaps in the scientific literature as well. The experts who explored the studies on dog tail-wagging are hoping for a more in-depth examination of the phenomenon, including neuroimaging through noninvasive brain scans. One of the questions they’d like to answer is whether our dogs’ tail-wagging is conscious or unconscious. Perhaps, as with human gestures, they’ll discover it’s a little bit of both.

In the end, while science—and our own experiences as dog lovers!—can offer some clues and ideas, a great many mysteries remain about why dogs wag their tails..

The post Why Do Dogs Wag Their Tails? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Back in the late 20^th century, people—and even trainers—believed that this kind of dog-sitting-on-us behavior was related to the dog’s desire to assert their dominance over humans. This idea arose from earlier studies of captive wolves in zoos, where packs were dominated, often violently, by a single wolf. Investigators then applied this dominance theory to wolves in the wild, and eventually to the family dog.

Luckily, science has now roundly dismissed this dominance theory as, in a word, bunk.

So, if your dog isn’t trying to dominate you by sitting on your feet or cuddling with you, what’s going on?

They Want Social Interaction

We know that dogs are social animals who have evolved to have close, affectionate relationships with humans, especially those who make up their human family. They show that affection through actions like licking (“dog kisses”), wagging their tails and wriggling their body, encouraging petting, ear-scratching, or belly-rubbing, and generally inviting physical contact with humans.

Veterinary Behaviorist and member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Sagi Denenberg explains that a dog’s relationship with humans is related to attachment, not flawed theories of hierarchy or domination. That need for social connection drives much of dog behavior, from the desire to follow their caretakers around the house, to wanting to sit on their feet or lap.

“Often when dogs sit on our feet, it’s because they want to be close to us,” says Dr. Mary Burch, a certified applied animal behaviorist and director of the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program. “It’s one way a dog shows affection. Think of your dog sitting on your feet as the canine version of a hug or cuddle.”

This can apply to people outside the dog’s immediate human family as well: thanks to the tens of thousands of years they’ve been living with us, dogs have become acutely tuned to our emotions, which includes recognizing when we’re with people we like or care about. That means your dog may end up on the feet—or laps—of close friends and neighbors that are spending time in your home.

They Want Safety and Reassurance

Sometimes, your dog may feel the need for extra safety or reassurance. Maybe he heard gunshots, fireworks, or thunder. Maybe there was a strange dog outside. Maybe someone came in who looks different (perhaps a man with a beard or wearing a hat). Maybe it was a child, whom the dog has never been exposed to. My last dog Joey was struck with terror when he first met my kind and gentle brother, who wore a long beard and a hat.

Unfamiliar locations—your new house, a hotel room, or someone else’s home—and situations can also cause stress and anxiety, which often triggers the dog’s need to be physically close because he feels unsure and insecure. On the other hand, if your dog suddenly plops down on your feet when she’s never done it before, you might want to try figuring out if something’s distressing her.

Dogs can also “claim” their caretaker when they sense a need to protect them. It can be something as simple as that strange man with the hat, whom your dog sees as a threat. Sometimes a dog’s protectiveness has its roots in jealousy: for instance, your pup climbs onto your lap and tries to put himself between you and the person who sits down on the couch next to you. (It’s important to distinguish between a dog being protective and exhibiting protective aggression.)

They Want Rewards

Whether your dog is lolling on your feet or sprawled in your lap, you’re probably petting them, or kneading their ears, or scratching them under the chin, or just talking to them. In the dog’s mind, you’re rewarding them for doing what they’re doing, which is the definition of positive reinforcement.

Through your actions, you’re letting your dog know that his behavior is a good thing…which guarantees he’ll continue with that behavior to get what he wants: your attention!

In the end, there’s no single, definitive answer to why your dog likes to sit on you, whether it’s in your lap or on your chest or your feet. (My take has always been that since a dog’s sense of smell is so much keener than ours, one of the reasons they choose to lie on our feet is because our feet contain so many wonderful smells from places we’ve been!) One thing you can be sure of, however, is that your dog isn’t trying to be the “alpha” or “pack leader.”

Maybe the real answer is that they’re just being a dog!

The post Why Do Dogs Sit on You? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

• Making eye contact with “soft” eyes
• Happy greetings with loose, relaxed posture
• Wagging tail
• Slow blink
• Seeking physical contact
• Licking
• Bringing you toys
• Leaning against you
• Following you around

Why Do Dogs Lay Their Head on Your Feet?

We think that dogs may lay their head on our feet as a way to show they love us by being close. Even dogs who don’t care for full-body cuddles on the couch or bed may enjoy being curled up at your feet, just barely touching. Others may just want to gaze in our eyes.

Some dogs may also use this technique to get our attention. “Hey human, you’ve been on the computer a long time—don’t forget you have a dog!” Of course, canine facial expressions can tell us a lot, too.

I think some of my personal dogs lay their head on my feet to be sure they will know if I get up and leave. My pack follows me from room to room, and napping on my feet ensures that I can’t “escape” without them knowing!

While we won’t know for sure why dogs lay on our feet until they can tell us themselves, a sign of affection feels right. After all, dogs use body language as a way to communicate and, if we feel warm and fuzzy when our dogs are close, why wouldn’t they feel the same?

The post Why Do Dogs Lay on Your Feet? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

What is Displacement Behavior?

Displacement behavior is when your dog does something normal, but at a weird time that feels out of context. This occurs when your dog is experiencing conflict or frustration.

Conflict is when your dog feels pulled between reactions to a situation. The pressure can result from two different things that are positive to the dog but can’t be done at once, or one option could come with fear or anxiety. Some examples include if your dog:

• Wants to visit you when you get home, but also wants to chase cars.
• Wants to approach another dog, but is nervous.
• Wants to pull on the leash, but knows he isn’t supposed to.
• Wants to go to the person calling him, but is scared of an obstacle, such as a shiny floor.

Frustration is when your dog wants to do something, but is blocked or otherwise prevented from doing it. For example, she:

• Wants to visit a person, but on a leash.
• Wants to approach another dog, but is behind a fence.

Examples of Displacement Behavior

There are many things that a dog might do as a displacement behavior. These include:

• excessive licking
• yawning
• circling
• whining
• barking
• sniffing
• tongue flick
• grabbing a toy
• drinking
• eating
• scratching
• mounting

Which behavior the dog does can vary by the situation and the individual dog.

Here are three examples of displacement behaviors in action:

1. Many dogs want to greet other dogs but are unsure about how the other dog will respond. They respond to this conflict between wanting to play and wanting to maintain a safe distance by licking excessively, eating grass, or yawning.
2. My oldest dog prefers to be with me at all times. If my husband is holding her leash – even if I am within sight – she whines and paces side to side. She is with a person she likes, but is prevented from reaching me, her favorite person. This frustration comes out as whining and pacing.
3. My youngest dog is always in a hurry and tends to pull on the leash. I have worked on this a lot, primarily by standing still when she puts tension on the leash. She understands that keeping a loose lead means the walk will continue, but she really wants to go fast! Her solution to this conflict (wanting to be good and get to walk, but wanting to go faster) is to smush her face between my knees and walk beneath me for several steps.

What Displacement Behavior Means

If you notice your dog showing a displacement behavior, consider his overall body language and the situation that he is in. Is he mostly loosey-goosey and relaxed, or is his body language stressed? Displacement behavior can be a response to stress, but stress isn’t always a bad thing.

Stress is a normal part of life. Your dog experiences positive stress when he is excited about something, and negative stress when he is anxious. Short bouts of stress from conflict or frustration are nothing to be concerned about. The issue is when stress becomes a frequent occurrence or if it is interfering with your dog’s ability to enjoy day-to-day life.

If your dog quickly bounces back and is relaxed and happy or playing after showing displacement behavior, it just means he was temporarily unsure about or frustrated by the situation. For example, maybe he started eating grass as he approached another dog, but then they greeted each other politely and started playing. This is nothing to worry about.

However, if your dog continues to show signs of distress even after the initial conflict has resolved, or if frustration can’t be addressed, this could be problematic in the long term. Let’s go back to the example of a dog worried about a shiny floor. His owner is calling him, and he wants to go to her, but is afraid of the floor and starts whining and licking his lips. He finally goes to his owner but continues to pant and be tense with the whites of his eyes showing for ten minutes after the event. This dog is distressed.

If your dog barks hysterically out the window at dogs that he can’t approach for hours on end, he is staying in that stressed, hyper-aroused state for an extended period of time. This prolonged frustration isn’t great for him (plus it is probably driving you and your neighbors insane).

What to Do When You See Displacement Behavior

Consider what your dog is doing, why he is doing it, and how he behaves after the displacement behavior ends. All of these factors will affect how you should respond.

Does your dog’s displacement behavior stem from frustration? Try to identify the cause of the frustration and eliminate it. This will minimize your dog’s stress and prevent the reaction from becoming a bad habit. For example, if your dog screams when he sees other dogs out the window because he wants to play, prevent him from looking out the window by blocking access to that room or putting up opaque window clings.

Does your dog’s displacement behavior come from a place of insecurity and conflict, but then resolve positively? For example, the dog who is nervous about approaching another dog but then plays happily. You can reduce this displacement behavior by building up your dog’s confidence and comfort around other dogs. Arrange playdates with calm, friendly dogs that you know will be gentle with your dog so he can have a lot of positive experiences approaching and interacting with other dogs.

Does your dog’s displacement behavior come from fear, and have the potential to end badly? For example, a dog who alternates between barking and lunging at another dog and retreating fearfully, even if the other dog is calm. This dog is distressed and could potentially bite the other dog if pushed too hard. If you find yourself in this situation, get your dog out of there as quickly and safely as possible. Strong fear of other dogs should be addressed with the help of a veterinary behaviorist and/or your veterinarian.

Does your dog’s displacement behavior come from insecurity or fear, and lead to prolonged anxiety? For example, the dog who is afraid of the shiny floor and stays stressed out even after getting to his owner. You can reduce this displacement behavior by avoiding shiny floors, providing rugs or mats for your dog to walk on, and/or a desensitization program to help your dog become more comfortable with the shiny floors.

Does your dog’s displacement behavior itself have the potential to cause harm? For example, a dog who obsessively licks one spot on his leg when he experiences conflict or frustration. This dog could eventually create bald patches and even damage the skin if he continues licking. Try to identify the cause of your dog’s behavior and eliminate the source if possible. You will likely also need help from your veterinarian or a behaviorist to prevent physical damage and break the habit.

Redirected Aggression

Redirected aggression is similar to displacement behavior, but works a little differently. The classic example of redirected aggression is when a dog wants to attack a dog on the outside of his fence but can’t get to it, so he bites his owner or a housemate instead. A dog showing redirected aggression is extremely frustrated, but instead of finding an innocuous displacement behavior such as grabbing a toy or whining to vent that frustration, he does exactly what he wants to do to the first poor soul who gets in his way.

The Bottom Line

Periodic, mild episodes of displacement behavior are a normal response to conflict or frustration. When possible, identify the source of your dog’s conflict or frustration so that you can address both the feelings and the behavior.

If your dog’s displacement behavior itself could cause harm, or if the result of the situation causes distress for anyone involved, start by avoiding the situation while you seek help from your veterinarian and/or a veterinary behaviorist.

The post Recognizing Displacement Behavior in Dogs appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

The way we humans move matters. For example, do you stand tall and walk toward your dog when you’re calling him? That may be why he doesn’t come to you. On Planet Dog, that direct-facing approach sends a message to stop or back up. (Much better to angle to the side and start moving back a bit as you call—that tells your dog to come along.)

But it’s not just our human movement that deserves attention. The subtleties of our dog’s movement matters, too. When you sit down next to your dog for a cuddle, does she look away or lean away? Does she yawn or lick her lips? If she does those things, but you continue petting her, you may have an answer for why she “doesn’t listen” to you in general: You’re not listening to her, either, so she feels a bit on her own.

Instead, when you see one of those signals, give your dog space. Back up a foot. Now does she come over for a snuggle? Great! If not, also great, because you listened to her, which will build some critical trust.

Canids + Primates = Misunderstandings

Canids and primates use their bodies differently. Dr. Patricia McConnell’s classic book The Other End of the Leash powerfully illustrates how that’s at the root of an enormous amount of dog-human misunderstanding. Many of the issues that send people to dog trainers—and eventually veterinary behaviorists, as things escalate—stem from our human lack of attention to body language. It’s also the hidden cause of the confusion and disappointment that runs through countless dog-human relationships.

“We humans are talking . . . but our dogs are watching,” Dr. McConnell writes. “Once you learn to focus on the visual signals between you and your dog, the impact of even tiny movements will become overwhelmingly obvious.”

For example, let’s say there’s a new dog you’re hoping to befriend. In your human (primate) style, you’re inclined to move in close, get face-to-face, reach out and even hug, just like chimps and bonobos would. But when dogs (or wolves and coyotes) have a friendly intent, they would not do any of those things. Oops. No wonder the dog ducks away, backs up, or even growls if he doesn’t have the ability to retreat.

Let’s say you knew enough to approach that dog in a more canine way; you start by giving the dog some space, angle slightly to the side, crouch, and glance away. McConnell notes that a human leaning in just half an inch makes a dog move away, where leaning back just slightly works as an invitation. The difference of an inch is dramatic in terms of building a relationship!

“Felt Safety” is Critical

Given how important body language is, why is it that beginner dog training classes never seem to spend any time on it? I suspect the answer is that we humans are in a rush to learn something that feels “real” and seems obviously helpful, like sit or stay.

Well, ask any veterinary behaviorist who’s counseled folks after dog bites, and they’ll tell you learning two-way body language is plenty useful and frankly a lot more important than “heel.”

Your skill in this area determines whether your dog feels safe with you and whether you’re able to assess when your dog feels uncomfortable.

It typically doesn’t even cross our minds that our dogs don’t feel safe. After all, we know they’re safe! But being safe and feeling safe are two very different things, and if an animal (humans included) doesn’t have “felt safety” it can affect an enormous range of behaviors. Dogs who feel safer become less skittish, obviously—but also less barky, less jumpy, more able to settle, and more attentive because they trust that listening to humans will work out well for them.

This is where the importance of body language comes in: Our body movement can either make our dogs feel safer or less safe. And our attention to their body language can either make them feel safer or less safe. It’s not an exaggeration to say that getting this right will transform your relationship with your dog.

Body Language 101

For me, Body Language Lesson #1 is teaching humans to get in the habit of giving their dog agency, the ability to choose. By being intentional with our own body movement, we can offer the relationship-building gift of distance. We can train ourselves to stop a foot or two away and invite the interaction rather than forcing it. We can stop the striding in with big footsteps and a direct approach. We can stop looming, cornering our dogs in small spaces, and swooping in to pick them up and hold them prisoner. In short, we can stop smothering them with our primate displays of affection.

If that key lesson is absorbed, it becomes a little less important to become an immediate expert at what is a trickier subject: truly reading your own dog’s body language. Almost everyone can see that a dog who’s running away, pulling away, or shaking is afraid. But sometimes we need a trainer to teach us how to look for loose, relaxed body language versus a stiff, still posture that signals uneasiness. There is much more to learn to recognize in time—tucked tails, lip-licking, rolling over, the lifting of one paw, a whale eye, etc.—but giving space and agency is an immediate game-changer.

Charades Mindset Helps

While most of the critical body-language-reading moments of the day do not happen during a training session—bites happen at Thanksgiving, not during training! —casual daily at-home sessions are incredibly helpful. Frequent practice in a predictable, rewarding situation will smooth the communication path between you and your dog. I encourage folks to make a daily habit of a handful of relaxed, fun, two-minute lessons. Teach easy, low-pressure stuff, such as touch and spin. By working on these things that “don’t matter,” you’ll be building your fluency together, which is the whole ballgame.

Have you ever played the game charades? When you’re trying to get better at body language, I think it’s helpful to use that game’s mindset as you train. The skills it takes to win at charades are 100% relevant to the skills it takes to build solid two-way communication with your dog:

• Think through what you’re going to communicate beforehand.
• Keep it simple or you’ll throw your teammate off.
• No extraneous body movements or you could get onto a tangent you can’t get back from.
• Clear your mind as you’re trying to decipher their clues, because your own thoughts will take you down the wrong road.
• Give your full attention to your partner.
• Understand that each round is half their job, but also half your job.

Your dog has actually been trying to play charades with you forever! He’s been watching your every move, trying to assess its meaning, and hoping you’ll respond to the clues he offers. Imagine his delight when he finds his teammate is suddenly coming to practice and engaged in the game! You’ll both end up enjoying the prize, which is a deepening interspecies friendship filled with trust and understanding.

The post How to Win the Body-Language Game appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Alongside the anecdotal evidence, researchers at the University of California noted in a study that knismesis, defined as a light tickling or itching sensation, “appears to be widespread across many mammals” including dogs. Although the topic of canine ticklishness has only been sparsely researched, it is generally acknowledged that dogs as a species do experience ticklishness.

Where are Dogs Ticklish?

When it comes to if or where a specific individual is ticklish, results will vary. Some dogs will wiggle and grin at the mere suggestion of being scratched on the right spot while others just don’t seem to experience the sensation. Some are only ticklish as young puppies, but others remain ticklish throughout their lives. For dogs that are ticklish, common spots include:

• Sides
• Belly
• Chest
• Ears
• Base of the tail
• Paws

To Tickle or Not to Tickle

For humans, tickling is usually a sign of closeness – just think of how odd and uncomfortable it would be if a perfect stranger walked up to you and tried to tickle you. The same holds true for dogs. Most dogs are much more likely to enjoy being tickled by a known and trusted human rather than a stranger.

Also like humans, enjoyment of tickling sensations differs between dogs. Some love it. Others loathe it. For those that like it, tickling can be a fun part of playtime.

If you don’t yet know your dog’s preferences, go slowly to avoid creating an unpleasant experience. Pay attention to what your dog is telling you when you touch potentially sensitive spots. If he moves away from the sensation, tenses up, or exhibits stress behaviors such as yawning or lip-licking, it’s time to find another game. On the other hand, if he wiggles around on his back with his feet in the air and his tongue lolling out when you tickle his belly, it’s a good sign he’s having fun too.

Another thing to watch out for is that tickling can be fun at first but become overwhelming if it goes on too long. Take breaks to assess how your dog is feeling and stop before the sensation becomes too much to be enjoyable. Be sure to respect your dog’s boundaries if he moves away or begins showing signs of being uncomfortable.

Gear and Ticklishness

Every once in a while, there is a piece of gear – such as a harness, collar, backpack, or jacket – that just hits a dog’s ticklish spots wrong. Even if the dog typically enjoys being tickled during playtime, dealing with the sensation while on a walk or trying to rest could become annoying or uncomfortable. Some signs that a piece of equipment might be tickling or hurting a dog include:

• Skin shivering
• Biting at gear
• Walking stiffly or refusing to walk
• Scratching excessively

If your dog is demonstrating any of these behaviors, the first step is to make sure his gear is properly adjusted and fits him well. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, it’s time to find something that doesn’t hit ticklish spots.

Overall, tickling can either be a fun part of bonding and playtime or something that creates a barrier between you and your dog. It’s up to you to ensure everyone is having a good time.

The post Are Dogs Ticklish? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

How to Tell If Your Dog Is Depressed

When it comes to depressed dogs, the signs vary, but depression in dogs typically involves a significant behavioral change. Some of the more common signs include:

• Lethargy/sleeping more
• Lack of interest in preferred activities/toys
• Unwilling to socialize
• Short tempered
• Lack of appetite
• Increase in destructive behavior
• Hiding
• Increased anxiety/clinging to owner

Causes of Canine Depression

Much of the time, depression in dogs can be linked to an event or experience. Perhaps one of the most common triggers is big changes in routine such as moving to a new home or an owner switching from day shift to night shift. Bringing new members into the family—like the arrival of a puppy, a significant other moving in, or a baby being born—can be a problem spot as well. The potential for depression isn’t a reason to avoid these kinds of life events, but it should certainly be motivation to consider how best to help your dog adapt when they are occurring.

Dogs also can become depressed following the loss of a family member, whether human or canine, or any regular companion. They can and do experience grief and grief-related depression. It takes time for them to work through the loss and develop a new routine. In addition, they are often faced with how to handle the grief their owners are likely going through at the same time.

The most serious instances of depression in dogs often come from cases where the animal has experienced trauma, abuse, or extended isolation. Shutting out the world can be a survival strategy in these extremes and can carry over even when the dog has been removed from the environment that caused the trauma. Building trust with the dog and seeking expert advice are extremely important when working with an animal whose depression likely stemmed from a deeply traumatic experience.

Caring for a Depressed Dog

Chronic pain and illness can go hand-in-hand with depression in dogs, so your veterinarian is an essential part of diagnosis and treatment plans for dogs suffering from depression. Your vet will explore potential physiological causes which can lead to your dog becoming depressed or exhibiting symptoms similar to depression. Of course, if something is discovered during the exam, the primary treatment will be to first resolve the underlying issue.

If physiological reasons for the dog’s depression are ruled out, look at your dog’s daily life and be sure the basics are in place:

1. Do you have an established routine for your dog? Consistency can play a big role in a dog’s sense of security, especially if there has recently been a big change in their lives.
2. Is your dog’s diet suitable for his activity level and health needs? Things like food allergies can affect mood and behavior. If you switched foods or added something new to your dog’s diet around the time they began showing signs of depression, consider returning to the previous diet.
3. Is your dog getting enough exercise and attention from you? Getting up and moving can help the dog to reengage with his environment as well as stimulating his appetite. If your dog likes being groomed, take some extra time to brush him out. If there is a game or toy your dog has previously enjoyed, offer opportunities to play.
4. Does your dog have friends? If your dog is in a good place to socialize, it may be helpful to meet for a playdate with friends. A few words of caution here: If your dog actively avoids interacting or is showing signs of aggression (including just being unusually grumpy) and/or anxiety, this is not the right time for socialization. As an example, a dog who is depressed following the loss of a companion may be lonely and desperate for the company of familiar dogs. Meeting more often with friends may be just what they need to start feeling better. On the flip side, a dog who is depressed following a traumatic experience may feel uncomfortable and unsafe even around animals they know. This could put them in a situation where they lash out to protect themselves or cause them to retreat further. Pay attention to what your dog is telling you about what they need. If you’re feeling stuck, don’t hesitate to reach out to a vet or behaviorist for advice.
5. Training also can be a good way to promote engagement. If your dog is willing, take some time each day to go over simple commands you know they’ve mastered. Celebrate even small successes, whether their performance is up to their usual standard or not. Go ahead and add in some new tricks, games, or activities. Engage your dog’s mind.

The trick with all the options above is to not force your dog to engage. If he doesn’t want to play or shies away from the brush, put it away and try again tomorrow. While it can be difficult to have patience when you can clearly see your dog is struggling, it is important not to overwhelm them. The caveat to this is that depression is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Continue to correct inappropriate behavior as you normally would. Calm consistency is key.

Medication as an Option for Canine Depression

In some cases, no amount of exercise, routine, and attention is enough to alleviate the condition.

With long-term exposure to stressors, or difficulty lifting the dog out of depression, additional support may be necessary. A variety of medications are available to address symptoms of depression and anxiety in dogs. If you think it might be time to go that route, talk to your vet about which medication might be appropriate for your dog and best fit your overall treatment strategy.

The primary goal when working with a dog suffering from depression is to stay patient, calm, and consistent. There is no immediate fix for emotions. Rather, it is a day-by-day process of ensuring your dog has what he needs to move through it. A good, established routine and some extra TLC can go a long way. Also, keeping your vet appraised of how your dog is doing is important for determining if further care is needed.

The post How to Tell If a Dog Is Depressed appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

A positive cat-dog relationship begins with how you introduce a cat to a dog; you don’t want to just cross your fingers! Even if you know your dogs are good with cats and this cat has lived happily with dogs in the past, the more carefully you arrange the introduction the more likely you are to set up your four-legged family members for success. Thoughtful social engineering will support your cat’s sense of safety and confidence as well as your dog’s calm acceptance of your new family member.

Here’s a cat/dog introduction protocol designed to keep all parties feeling (and in reality) safe:

1. Choose a room in your home that can be securely closed to be your cat’s initial dog-free safe zone. Set up the cat’s food, water, litter box, and bed in the room. When you first bring the cat home, you will bring the cat in her carrier directly to that room.

It’s might take a while to give your cat whole-house freedom, but go ahead and prepare for that day by creating more cat-safe spaces in your home, including plenty of elevated cat-friendly surfaces, an accessible but tall cat tree, and doorways that are equipped with pet gates. While most cats can jump over pet gates, the best gates have cat-doors built into them that are too small for a dog but allow cats to run right through to safety. See “Types of Dog Gates” to learn about your many options!

2. Confine your dogs to a different room – preferably a room away from the path you will travel to the cat’s room – while you bring the cat in to the house.
3. Bring your cat (in her carrier) to her private room and close the door securely. Plan to keep her in this room for several days – or longer if she shows you that she needs more time. This gives her cortisol levels, heightened by the stress of a trip to a new home, a chance to settle down to normal, and gives the cat some time to acclimate to her new surroundings while also strengthening your relationship with her. Plus, it allows her to become accustomed to the scents and sounds of the dogs (outside her closed door) and gives you the opportunity to note her reaction to them.

Be sure to spend time quietly hanging out with your cat in her secure room.

2. If after a few days, your cat seems confident and curious, eager to explore beyond her safe room, it’s time to introduce her to your dog in a highly controlled environment – but one that doesn’t feel restrictive or trap-like. In a large room, set up an exercise pen against a wall (this will ensure that there is a “safe side” of the pen where she can get some distance away from your dog). Put a solid or covered dog-sized carrier in the pen near the wall to give her a safe place for her to hide in the pen and cover the pen with a blanket so she can’t jump out. Place a generous handful of yummy cat treats and your cat in the pen and give her some time to explore this space. The pen will allow her to approach your dog from safety, and give her a secure retreat if she feels she needs it, without being able to run (potentially triggering a chase instinct in your dog) or hide indefinitely (which could frustrate and hinder your ability to supervise and control the next meet-and-greet attempt).
3. When she has had a few minutes to investigate the pen, bring your leashed dog into the room with the pen. If you have multiple dogs, bring out the calmest, most cat-friendly one. Walk the dog slowly on leash toward the pen, watching both the cat’s and the dog’s reactions. If both seem totally calm, walk up to the pen and let them sniff. If both continue to be very calm and accepting of each other, let them hang out for a while through the barrier, then open the pen and let them be friends. You just won the cat-dog introduction lottery!
4. If your cat is scared or just seems worried or the dog seems aroused, keep them a good distance apart (so stress doesn’t escalate) and sit on the floor or a chair with your dog. Feed high-value treats to your dog so he learns that the presence of the cat will cause treats to appear. He will eventually look to you for treats when the cat is present, rather than getting aroused. This is called “counter conditioning and desensitization” – giving your dog a new association with an arousing or fear-causing stimulus. Feed him a treat and then let him look at the cat, and repeat this again and again until he only glances at the cat and then quickly looks at you – or doesn’t even look at the cat at all. Now you can move closer – assuming the cat is calm, too!

If the cat is worried, a second person can drop bits of high-value kitty treats into the cat pen one at a time (this will provide counter conditioning for the cat!). This could go quickly if dog and cat are both accustomed to and comfortable and appropriate with the other species. If that’s not the case, it could take a long time.

Repeat this process with any other dogs in your household, one dog at a time.

7. When your dog can remain calm and relaxed around your penned cat, with Dog #1 still on leash, open the door to the pen and invite the cat out. Do not coerce her to come out; let it be her choice. Use counter conditioning as needed to keep your dog calm while the cat walks around.

If this goes well, swap Dog #1 out for Dog #2 and so on, until all the dogs have individually interacted appropriately with the cat out of the pen. Then, try it again with a single dog and with the dog off leash (but wearing a collar so you can restrain him if necessary).

When your cat is comfortable with each dog off-leash individually, try it with two dogs, then three, until the whole family can happily hang out together. Keep those pet gates and cat trees in place, however, so the cat always has safe dog-free spaces to retreat to if she feels the need.

Management of Introducing a Cat to a Dog

Every good training and behavior program incorporates management to ensure success. With your dog(s) and cat, this means keeping them safely separated when you are not there to supervise, until you are 100% confident that they will all get along. I also recommend maintaining one room as the cat’s room (with one of those cat-door pet gates), where you continue to keep her food, bed, and litter box so she has a safe canine-free haven anytime she wants to get away from the dogs – and so your dogs don’t eat the cat food and cat poop, which dogs are very likely to do.

This seven-step process can seem cumbersome, but cat-friendly dogs and dog-savvy cats may be able to whip through it in just a day or two. Take as long as you need, however. It’s better to err on the side of caution than increase tension between your two species and sabotage your program by moving too quickly. As we like to say in behavior modification, “If you think you’re going too slow, slow down!”

If you’ve done everything described above and you are still seeing cat/dog tension, it may be time to seek the services of a qualified force-free dog-training professional. Be sure to find one who is experienced with both dogs and cats for the best results.

By the way, it is also a myth that there are “cat people” and “dog people.” There are plenty of us who love, appreciate, and share our homes with both species. And it is perfectly possible that they can all get along.

The post How to Introduce a Cat to a Dog appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

The sneeze as a social cue is different from a physiologic sneeze. When a dog sneezes due to an irritation in her nose, the sneeze is often forceful and may include nasal discharge or jerking of her head. By comparison, a social sneeze is small and delicate with no nasal discharge and very little head movement.

A dog sneezing during play with another dog is telling the other dog to tone down the energy level a notch or two. It’s her way of saying, “I’m enjoying this playtime with you but you’re getting a little too rambunctious for me right now. Take a minute to chill out and then we can continue playing.”

Dogs will also use a sneeze as a social cue with their humans. A social sneeze directed at humans is used to get their attention. It is usually followed by barking or even pawing at or pointing their nose at something they want.

Dogs who sneeze a lot – regardless of context – may have an underlying medical issue that is causing them to sneeze. Anything that causes irritation of the nose or throat can cause repeated sneezing or even a reverse sneeze. This can include allergens, foreign material in the nose, an infection, or (rarely) a tumor in the nose or throat.

If you are not sure if your dog’s sneeze is a social cue or is being caused by a medical issue, take a video of your dog sneezing and share it with her veterinarian. They may reassure you that the sneeze is not a concern or may recommend that you make an appointment for an examination.

Social sneezes are part of the communication repertoire that make our canine companions unique. It’s amazing how eloquent our dogs can be without words!

The post Why Dogs Sneeze When They Play appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Signs of Heat in Dogs

When female dogs have a bloody vaginal discharge, they are considered “in heat” or “in season.” This is not a dog having a period. Signs of heat in female dogs include:

• Swelling of the vulva
• Bleeding from the vulva
• Excessively licking the vulva
• Possibly, tail tucked down tight

Dogs in heat may seem clingier than usual. Smaller dogs usually have their first heat around 6 to 7 months of age. Larger breeds often start a little later. Dogs usually come into heat twice a year, or every six months or so. The time to breed a dog is about one to three weeks after the bleeding starts (see stages, below).

Dog Heat Cycle Stages

There are four stages to a heat cycle:

• Proestrus, which is when the bleeding starts, lasts one to three weeks, this is when inexperienced owners may start wondering if dogs have a period.
• Estrus, which is when the dog is fertile and can be bred, the bleeding may slow or even stop and the female dog will be receptive to male attention, lasts one to three weeks
• Diestrus, which is not a fertile time, if the dog is not pregnant it’s a quiet time in the cycle
• Anestrous, which is the rebuilding time for the reproductive tract before the next heat cycle begins, lasts about four months

A dog’s heat cycle stages are not the same thing as a dog having a period. It signals the start of fertility for a female dog, and not the end of the cycle. If you’ve found yourself wondering if dogs have a period because your dog has started bleeding then you’ll need to take some precautions to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.

Avoid Unwanted Puppies

If your female dog goes into heat and you do not want her to get pregnant, keep close tabs on her. Never go outside without her on a leash, and be on the lookout for wandering, unattended male dogs when you do go outside. Watch her closely when she is outside in your fenced yard, too, as male dogs will jump fences to get to a female in heat. Help her keep her perivulvar area clean and dry. It’s OK to use diapers to limit the mess but change them frequently.

If you do not have plans to breed your female dog, consider having her spayed. This is the best way to avoid unwanted pregnancy and to prevent uterine and ovarian problems. And it will make your life a lot  easier, at least twice a year. Note: Dogs do sometimes have false pregnancies.

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