Yesterday I posted a picture on the Facebook page of 3 Rottweilers. I asked readers to share what they thought the dogs were really trying to communicate with their body language. To my delight, 3 clever ladies stepped forth with wonderful answers.
Above is the picture with the flippant caption. My explanation is a similar echo of the ladies bold enough to post responses. Like them I have spent years around dogs. I have trained multiple breeds in a wide variety of circumstances. When one has hands on the leash and only a second to respond to body language while applying pressure in the form of commands or expectations reading body language becomes a critical skill to avoid undue stress in the animal or at worst, a bite. No back story is necessary to decode body language.
The dog in the center is clearly the most attentive to the photographer and on alert, but not necessarily "unhappy" about anything. The mouth appears a bit tense but it is not puckered to show teeth or growl. Not only because it is the largest is it receiving attention from the other two, but because it has the most confidence in this particular situation. It is undaunted by the staged photo, and dogs will gravitate to the one who is willing to take control of a situation.
The dog on the left is clearly the most uncomfortable. It is offering obvious submission and a plea for guidance with the licking of the mouth of the center dog. Licking of it's own mouth would show some anxiety, the application of the action to the other dog is a request.
The dog on the right is just observing the calmly. It has a soft open mouth, soft eyes. The posture suggests it may have been considering laying down or he could just be young and awkward. Not only is he smaller than the center dog, but sitting lower to avoid any unintended conflict with the dog in the center.
*For more fun learning, please stop by the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pawsthenplay
or feel free to e-mail me directly at PawsThenPlay@gmail.com with any dog training or behavioral inquiries.
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