07.02.26

Dog Behaviour. A dogs interactions. Don't just ask for a sit. Set your dog up to be more comfortable in an interaction with another dog or even a human ...

It's best you not ask your dog for a 'Sit' or a 'Down' when they are part of a dog to dog interaction (or even some interactions with humans), especially if they are naturally more cautious/wary, or even reactive, as these positions go against the flight, of 'Flight or fight' and can make your dog feel vulnerable here.

Instead, you could actively engage your dog with you, with more fluid commands - use the 'Watch'/'Look' (to gain their attention if you need - this is to look at your eyes), 'mini' recalls into hand 'Touch's' etc. Selina McIntyre, Dog Behavioural Consultant and Dog Trainer, Dogs Best Friend. For more dog behavioural and training advice, tips and suggestions, why not check out my book in association with HarperCollins, 'Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood,' thank you 🐾 14.06.25 Dog Behaviour. Dogs Interacting with each other. Appeasement Signals What are 'Appeasement Signals' given by dogs?

Appeasement signals –

Appeasement communication helps decrease the potentially negative intent of another animal or human …

The dog

• Lowering their head or moving it up up and down

• Turning their head away

• Averting their eyes

• Licking their lips

• Licking the other dog or a person

• Holding their ears back or flattening them against their head

• Having a low tail area - perhaps their tail is tucked between their legs and their back end is curved with this.

• Having a submissive grin – the dog pulls their lips back and shows the front part of their teeth in what looks like a smile, and shows other signals such as squinting eyes. There is not usually a lot of tension in this dogs body.

• Rolling onto their back/showing their belly – this dog flips over quickly, ‘tapping out,’ showing their stomach, with their ears back and tail tucked between their legs or hugging their body. These dogs are not asking for a tummy rub, but are signalling that they're wanting to ‘wave the white flag here’ and are nervous about the interaction, Selina McIntyre, Dog Behavioural Consultant & Dog Trainer, Dogs Best Friend. For more dog training and behavioural tips, advice and suggestions, why not check out my book in association with HarperCollins ‘Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood’ thank you 🐾 07.06.25

Dog Behaviour. Dog Play. Tips for the dog park.

Signs of overstimulated play (and when it’s time to calmly intervene) –

• If dog vocalisations continuously increase

• One dog is giving appeasement signals and trying to get away

• If one dog targets another dog by chasing, stalking, or always playing roughly, is pushy and the interaction is one-sided, this dog should leave. This type of interaction isn’t usually fun for the dog on the receiving end.

Dogs that tend to play rudely, body slamming, mouthing too hard, mounting, and generally creating havoc can cause negative responses - potentially fights and injuries.

You are instead wanting - a ‘loose’/relaxed body with both dogs. Tails loosely wagging or held loosely mid-way down the backs, a lack of rigidity in the bodies and neither dog trying to stand taller, as well as eyes relaxed, not intensely staring. It’s also great to see symmetry in behaviour between the dogs, mimicking the same relaxed behavioural cues of the other dog, Selina McIntyre, Dog Behavioural Consultant & Dog Trainer, Dogs Best Friend. For more dog training and behavioural tips, advice and suggestions, including around dogs pulling on their leads, why not check out my book in association with HarperCollins 'Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood,' thank you 🐾 31.05.25

Dog Behaviour. Dog Training. Who is in your pack? Your pack includes all dogs residing and interacting on your property

Your pack includes all dogs residing and interacting on your property (for example a flatting situation and dogs are interacting this way).

There is the potential for problems here if there are different rules and boundaries for one dog, to another - they may be allowed inside for example and the other is not, or one on the bed or couch, the other not. You can have a real impact on the social dynamics of the entire pack, with how you are interacting with all individually, Selina McIntyre, Dog Behavioural Consultant & Dog Trainer, Dogs Best Friend. For more dog training and behavioural tips, advice and suggestions, including around dogs pulling on their leads, why not check out my book in association with HarperCollins 'Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood,' thank you 🐾 15.02.25

Dog Behaviour. Dog Training. The effect of the lead on dog-to-dog interactions

The dynamic of a dog-to-dog social interaction is perceived differently, if your dog is on the lead and other dogs are off (or vice-versa) – so the off-lead dogs are accessing freedom. I have witnessed many an instance, where the slightly under confident dog that is off lead, encounters one that is on lead and then becomes a different individual altogether. The resulting situation may be one of hostility unless you and your dog are acting relaxed (yes you may very well be acting). From this, my advice would be to aim for your dog to be off lead, in a dog off-lead area with all the other dogs present (rather than contained on-lead, hence you should work up to going to dog-parks if you wish to use these) all provided you have a great recall in these environments, Selina McIntyre, Dog Behavioural Consultant & Dog Trainer, Dogs Best Friend. For more dog behavioural & training tips, advice and suggestions, why not check out my book in association with HarperCollins 'Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood,' thank you. 13.09.24

Dog Behaviour. The antisocial dog.

A sign that a dog is antisocial about other dogs, is that he or she is uncomfortable about being sniffed at their rear end. Think of the refusal of the rear sniff as the equivalent of the snub of the hand shake in human interaction - it’s quite a big deal! Two dogs might go round and round too, until one has had enough! Selina McIntyre, Dog Behavioural Consultant & Dog Trainer, Dogs Best Friend. For more dog behavioural & training tips, advice and suggestions, including around dogs pulling on their leads, why not check out my book in association with HarperCollins 'Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood,' thank you. 12.07.24

Dog Behaviour. Dog Training. What are you inadvertently telling your dog? Cuing your dog.

Watch out for cuing/signalling for a negative response in your dog …

Try not to tighten your grip on your dogs lead and with this, your body tense up, when you spot another dog in the distance (this also applies to spotting other animals or people) or make an abrupt 90 degree crossing of the road (we would instead look at other actions like a few steps forward first, then crossing on a 'casual' angle for example). The former actions described only perpetuate the signals to your dog, that yes indeed, there must be something 'off with that thing' if we're reacting this way.

Another, slightly different way to prevent a negative cuing event is -

When you put your dog back on their lead after a recall, try if you can, to leave the lead long enough for slack. If you have the lead too short and tight each time after you get your dog back on, a negative association can form with coming back to you and being put on the lead - your dog has lost all that freedom,

Selina McIntyre, Dog Behavioural Consultant & Dog Trainer, Dogs Best Friend. For more dog behavioural & training tips, advice and suggestions, including around dogs pulling on their leads, why not check out my book in association with HarperCollins 'Big Dog, Small Dog - Make your dog happier by being understood,' thank you 🐾