PAWS Academy: How to Help Dogs Feel Safe
Written by Madi Cook, PAWS Education Intern
PAWS Academy Has Arrived!
The sixth episode of PAWS Academy is here! This time we discuss how to help dogs feel safe and understand what their behavior tells us about their emotions.
How To Approach A Dog
Like cats, when meeting a dog for the first few times it is beneficial to let them approach you instead of the other way around. To achieve this, the dog needs to feel safe and comfortable. Here are a few tips to make yourself seem less threatening to a dog:
- Move slowly to avoid startling the dog. Quick movements can be perceived as a threat and heighten a dog’s anxiety around a new person.
- Stay quiet to prevent scaring the dog. Loud noises often frighten dogs, so being the source of one could make them feel unsafe around you. Gentle talking should be used to invite contact.
- Be aware of your body position and size. Your stance could be viewed as intimidating from the dog’s perspective. Sitting or squatting near the dog is a way to reduce your size. Turning sideways to leaning away from the dog is a way to show you have friendly intentions. If the dog is still timid, laying on the ground can help, but should only be done if you know and trust the owner.
- Do not make eye contact with a dog that is unfamiliar with you, they could consider it a challenge and respond aggressively.
Once the initial meeting has occurred, incorporating treats as an incentive and a way to build trust is an option. Tossing a treat a few feet away from you and gradually reducing the distance can help diminish the dog’s anxiety around you. However, even with this method it may require days or weeks to help the dog feel safe. It is important to not rush this process. Given these procedures, having the expertise to interpret the dog’s body language to understand how it is feeling is the best way to guarantee safe communication.
Dog Body Language
A huge part of ensuring a dog feels safe is knowing how to tell when they feel unsafe. Gaining these skills allows you to adjust accordingly when interacting with a dog. Signs that a dog is feeling unsafe can be revealed through many behaviors. If a dog’s tail is down or tucked between their legs this is an indication that they are afraid. Their ears may be pulled back which communicates that they are uncomfortable. A slightly open mouth, yawning or licking of lips can be a sign of anxiety. If a dog averts their head but keeps their eyes locked in the same position, this means they are unsure about the situation. In this stance, the whites of their eyes should be visible as they stare from the side. This is referred to as a “whale eye”. Tail wagging is not always a friendly signal, so be cautious not to misinterpret this body language. When dogs wag their tail, it is in response to an intense emotion. Whether it is excitement over greeting a family member or alert over a potential stressor it can be hard to tell. Body language is one of the only ways we can tell what a dog is feeling in order to help them feel safe.
Stay Patient
As mentioned before, it can take time before a dog feels safe and wants to be pet. Remember, all dogs are unique and have different backgrounds. It is important to respect the dog and go at its pace. When to pet a dog is ultimately the dog’s decision. Forcing an interaction too soon may scare the dog, destroy any built trust between the dog and you, or result in the dog defending itself by injuring you. Patience is an applicable skill in many realms of life, so practice it by respecting a dog!
Stay Positive
Positive interactions are essential to helping a dog feel safe. If you exhibit negative emotions like frustration, fear or anxiety it will be hard to keep a calm and inviting environment for a dog to feel secure. In other words, you must feel safe too. Maintain your own positivity while following the rules to approaching a dog and with repetition you will help the dog feel safe around you.
This Week’s Activities
We invite you to develop your knowledge by trying out our Dog Body Language tool which you can find here.
Continue Learning With Us!
If you missed last week’s video on how to safely pet a cat click here to check it out and learn about the steps to respectfully interact with a cat. You can also find any of our other videos or activities at paws.org/PAWSAcademy. Tune in next Wednesday at 12 p.m. PT for the seventh PAWS Academy video and blog post about what a pet is and continue to explore how you can make a difference in animals’ lives!
If you have any questions or suggestions you can reach us at [email protected].