There’s an interesting book about dog body language called Canine Body Language: A Photographic G
uide Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog (by Brenda Aloff, published by Dogwise, 2005). It’s a human’s point of view on what dogs are saying with their bodies. Which leads me to wonder – what do dogs think we’re saying with our bodies?
Dog owners usually underestimate how much their dogs know about them. They might be surprised to know that dogs pay attention to our bodies even more than they do to all those words/noises that come out of our mouths.
Here are some typical human/dog silent conversations, from the dog’s perspective:
Owner sits down to read the newspaper:
Dog: My guy just got lower down, closer to me. He must be ready to play. Let’s partayyyy! Ditch the paper, dude! Here’s my ball – it’s lots more fun. C’mon, grab it out of my mouth. I dare you…!
Owner answers the phone and proceeds to have a conversation:
Dog: Hey, no way! We were just playing! Forget it, buddy. I’ll just bark until you look at me. There you go. That’s right. Look at my face. See, aren’t I cuter and more amusing than that piece of plastic? Who are you talkin’ to anyway? What could be more fun than tossing the ball with me?
Owner walks into kitchen to get a snack:
Dog: Oh yeah! We’re gonna eat. I’ll stand near the fridge to make it easier for you to give me food. Wait, okay, I’ll stand by my bowl since you put food there all the time. Oh, okay, if you’re going to the table, I’ll hover near there. I know, you want me to stand as close as possible to make it easier for you. Here, I’ll get right under your feet.
Owner bends over to scold dog for chewing the mail:
Dog: You’re in my face because….? Your voice sounds threatening but you’re all scrunched over. Hmmm. I’m confused. Did I do something? I dunno. So, okay, I’ll just slink over to the corner until you figure out what’s wrong.
My clients sometimes tell their dogs one thing with their voices, and something totally different with their bodies. Make sure you have a clear conversation with your expert body language reader.
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