Same as everyone else but I noticed a brief moment where the dog showed his teeth to the person patting it and the second paw go up at the end of vid. Camera Shutters seemed to make it worse. I wouldn’t call what he did with his ears as going back but rather in more of a forward alert position.
Observation Skills - What do you see in this dog's body language? Episode 1
- Thread starter snowbunny
- Start date
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
Oop, that's what happens when you read the rules after drinking wine. Sorry!Good stuff everyone! I've edited out a bit of conjecture, which can come later; for now, we'll just keep it to what we see.
- Location
- Wellington, NZ
Same as everybody else - the lip licking, the yawning, the leaning into the handler(?), wide eyes, lifted paw.
Come on I think it is now time for some 'conjecture' I think. This time difference is a real pain at times
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
OK, since you asked so nicely!
*drum roll*
DISCUSSION NOW OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION
*drum roll*
DISCUSSION NOW OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION
Jacqui-S
Moderator
- Location
- Fife, Scotland
OK, so the dog is not happy. The lip licking, yawning and moving away in particular would indicate that.
The yawning isn't something you would immediately think of as meaning a dog isn't just relaxed - so that is kind of counter-intuitive to me though I know from what I have learned from all the forum guys that this is the case.
I don't know the significance of the paw lift. Is that just this dog or is this another doggy body language basic I don't know about?
The yawning isn't something you would immediately think of as meaning a dog isn't just relaxed - so that is kind of counter-intuitive to me though I know from what I have learned from all the forum guys that this is the case.
I don't know the significance of the paw lift. Is that just this dog or is this another doggy body language basic I don't know about?
- Location
- Canberra, Australia
I will interpret the man’s body language: He likes dogs but has no idea of how to communicate with one. He needs to read this thread.
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
Lip licking and yawning are calming signals, the man continues to bend of the dog, so the dog moves his body away but is 'polite' (can dogs be polite!!) to keep his head towards the man, but it became all too much so he moved away which was a strong signal of his stress. I am not sure about the paw lifting, it seems to me to be a small signal of sublimation and possible fear.
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
Just showed OH the video. "look how cute that video is. That dog is so happy so meet everyone" oh dear
oh dearThis is a stressed out dog with heightened anxiety levels. If you take all the communications he’s offering and combine them you can clearly see he is approaching his threshold and need to be removed from the situation. The paw lift is an under utilized form of communication that signifies sublimation but also as seen in this case as a sign of anxiety. Picture a cornered homeless dog on the streets of Mexico as you approach they will slink down and rear away lifting one paw. That’s not the case here it is clearly a sign of anxiety. My dog will turn away and lift his paw when he’s had enough of someone little annoying him. To me he is saying get away please and stop those annoying photographers. He’s also saying, Dad this is really hard to sit here for much longer and behave, I might get angry son if any more triggers are applied.
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Agree with others that dog is clearly saying it's hard to sit there and remain "polite". He would really like to flee -- could that be the paw lift? I don't know, that's a new one to me.
Agree strongly with Oberon re the man doing the fussing.
Agree strongly with Oberon re the man doing the fussing.
I also read the paw lift as an indecisive move for the dog; he's not sure what's going on here, perhaps (and this is pure conjecture!) his handler is not reacting in his usual way because he's on formal parade so the dog is showing discomfort but the handler isn't reacting as he'd expect - thus the dog's right ear keeps going back and he looks back at his handler in what I might read as an appeal, which then escalates to a shift in body posture away from the annoying strokey man and into closer contact with his handler.
Adding to @Oberon 's observation on the man; he's some sort of higher status fellow (politician?) focused on the cameras filming him and wants to be viewed as a competent, relaxed friend of dogs which makes him over-confident in his behaviour and under-aware of his surroundings. Risky combination! Also - the handler looks a bit stressed. At attention and over-smiling, highly watchful, forced joviality. Not comfortable.
Adding to @Oberon 's observation on the man; he's some sort of higher status fellow (politician?) focused on the cameras filming him and wants to be viewed as a competent, relaxed friend of dogs which makes him over-confident in his behaviour and under-aware of his surroundings. Risky combination! Also - the handler looks a bit stressed. At attention and over-smiling, highly watchful, forced joviality. Not comfortable.
HaH I think you’re right. A very confused dog....can sense handlers discomfort as well.
- Location
- Argyll & Bute, Scotland
I think the man clearly doesn't understand the dogs body language even though I would say he likes dogs. He doesn't realise he is making the poor dog anxious as it's for the 'press'. In these situations I believe whoever the greeter is should be told to talk to the handler and leave the dogs alone as it's not fair. xx
Interesting stuff ... I'll be watching these threads with interest as I know very little about this topic.
A pet peeve of the gundog trainer that we take Harv to at the moment is handlers with whistles on lanyards who bend over their dogs and poke them in the eye with the whistle! I have to say that the suit did a pretty good job of holding his tie out of the way most of the time. I would have preferred that he crouched down though, rather than leaning over the dog.
A pet peeve of the gundog trainer that we take Harv to at the moment is handlers with whistles on lanyards who bend over their dogs and poke them in the eye with the whistle! I have to say that the suit did a pretty good job of holding his tie out of the way most of the time. I would have preferred that he crouched down though, rather than leaning over the dog.
- Location
- Isle of Man
- Location
- Isle of Man
I didn't really mean "holding in his emotions" I meant holding back on his actions.
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
I’ve never seen Stanley exhibit any behaviour like this until this week with his eye drops.
It’s heartbreaking when I’m having to force him to have them in and he’s frantically licking his mouth.
He’s never shown one even teeny tiny attempt at anything other than being anxious though. There’s been no growls or anything even though he must be so stressed!
Afterwards he just comes over and gives me little lick as if to be like “I don’t know why you did that, but it’s ok I forgive you”.
It’s heartbreaking when I’m having to force him to have them in and he’s frantically licking his mouth.
He’s never shown one even teeny tiny attempt at anything other than being anxious though. There’s been no growls or anything even though he must be so stressed!
Afterwards he just comes over and gives me little lick as if to be like “I don’t know why you did that, but it’s ok I forgive you”.