How to Interpret your Dog’s Body Language

In the past few weeks I have seen a disturbing trend on Facebook and YouTube that I wanted to address. Several “funny” videos have been posted and shared showing dogs acting “guilty.” What disturbs me is both the misunderstanding of what the dogs are actually saying, and that people are making a joke of the dogs’ obvious distress.

So for my Training Tip this month, I wanted to share with you some great resources to help you learn to better understand and correctly interpret canine body language and communication.

Turid Rugaas is an internationally renowned trainer and writer who introduced trainers around the world to calming signals. Her website, books, and videos are great resources for trainers and dog owners alike. You can find her website, Calming Signal Community, and the Wonderful World of Dog Language at: http://www.canis.no/bibliotek/artikkel.php?artid=13 (Your browser should have the option to translate this page.)

A link to order her book or video are available on the resources page of my website.

On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals (book or DVD) by Turid Rugaas

Another extremely helpful resource is The Language of Dogs DVD by Sarah Kalnajs, also available from the resources page of my website.

Also, check out the article:

Is Denver the dog really guilty? Go to dogspies.blogspot.com for a well written blog post addressing the concept of “guilt” in dogs.

So, if you are puzzled by what your dog is trying to tell you, please give me a call. I’d be happy to translate and help you strengthen the lines of communication between you and your dog.