S.T.A.R.
adoption programme
Speak Dog...
Dogs have an impressive capacity to learn complex social behavior, to interpret a wide variety of body language and sounds, and also to react and learn from new situations. Dogs are able to sense and deliver a wide variety of behavioural cues using body language. This allows them to engage in social interaction (communication) with other dogs and with humans. Actually dogs probably have to be even more perceptive than humans, because they can't rely on language (either to express themselves or to figure out what others are thinking/ feeling).
Misunderstanding, misreading and misinterpretation and mixed signals are the result of poor communication between humans and canines. Dogs are incapable of speech and unable to vocally express themselves using language.
We need to find a way to effectively communicate with our Rescue Pups by understanding their non-verbal (body) language. Dogs are both very expressive and very intuitive, and are generally very good at reading non-verbal cues from humans. Puppies can tell when you are happy with them and they can let you know that they are pleased, too. This is part of what makes them easy to train and, most importantly, easy to build a strong relationship with.
Different breeds of dogs have different ways of communicating and expressing themselves... apart from genetics or individual temperament, a lot of it comes down to the way they look...some dogs have pointy ears and some have floppy ears, some have stiff tails and others have a gentle curve or even very short tails, some dogs have flat faces and others sharp faces, some are very furry and others are short-haired...
Because most of our CLAWbies are mixed breeds (many we haven't the faintest clue as to their DNA and make guesses purely based on their looks) studying breeds or breed characteristics is perhaps not as relevant for us...
We don't have to be a "dog whisperer" to work with our CLAWbies and understand and communicate with them, we just need to know what to look out for!
Learn more about how to be respectful when meeting and greeting dogs! This is invaluable not just for yourself but to teach your family members and particularly children. It teaches us how to meet and greet not only our own pets but also other 'strange' dogs. Just as we expect manners and a polite greeting from dogs we meet, we should learn how to meet and greet dogs in a manner that is non-threatening for them.
Here are a whole lot of very useful posters about Meeting and Greeting dogs especially useful for educating your children on how to meet and greet dogs - both strange dogs and the ones in your family home! Interestingly, most bites happen from a family dog and and within a few meters of a parent!!!
It is up to you to supervise and control all interactions between your children and any pets in the home... See more about Preventing Dog Bites.
Dogs communicate clearly with each other, problems may arise in communicating with humans because we do not understand their signals and communicative cues, and so much is lost in interpretation. Turid Rugaas has provided valuable insight into understanding dogs non-verbal vocabulary. PLEASE download and read this valuable article...
It is vital we are able to communicate and understand the CLAWbies in our care. Dog's growling and bites are a major reason for dogs being sent to (or returned to) shelters and we all know a dog perceived as "aggressive" is most likely to be PTSed (put to sleep). If dogs feel trapped and cannot escape, and no one is heeding their signals of discomfort or growls of warning, they can't push the threat away, or hit them... their only "weapon" becomes their teeth. Generally dog bites are the direct result of communication gone bad NOT a "bad" (or dangerous) dog! If we ignore signals of fear a dog may be left no resort but to growl or nip!
Not only do we need to know this to communicate with our CLAWbies, but also to be advocates for them, and protect them around our family members and when visitors come (especially children). We need to be watching our CLAWbies for signals that they are anxious or uncomfortable so that we can mediate!
Test yourself, take the quizz... how effectively do you "SPEAK DOG"?