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The All Dogs Blog

Spotlight on dog behavior: Dogs greeting dogs

5/10/2018

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For those of us that want to ensure our dogs are well socialized throughout the puppy years and into adulthood, knowing how dogs politely greet one another is important information. It helps us keep our dogs safe, secure, and happy when faced with the unknown. So how do we know when our dogs are greeting one another in a healthy way? 

In this blog, I'm going to go over some various dog-to-dog greetings, what they look like, and what is behind the physical information our dogs are giving us when engaging in good greeting behavior.  

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Take a look at the two dogs in the center of the attached picture. The ears are drawn back and relaxed. The lips are long in the muzzle of both dogs. And the eyes are partially closed (squinting). Their tails are waving gently to and fro, and not held straight up in the air or down between their back legs - they're at a sort of half-way position. You'll notice (and this is important) that the dogs are not directly in front of one another. Instead, they are slightly off-side to ensure there is no misinterpretation of this particular greeting between them. The paw lift on the dog to the right is also indicative of a friendly hello! 

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This sideways greeting is both polite and friendly. Everything here is as it should be. The dogs are not in a face-to-face  or head-on position. The eyes are narrow, and they are not staring one another down. The tails (though quite short) appear relaed. Ears are low and relaxed, as are the jaws on both dogs. There is no tension in body, face, or movement. This wonderful body language indicates that neither dog is threatened by the other and represents a healthy, happy same-species greeting. 

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The picture to the left is something a little different. Notice the rounded back on the smaller dog, and the face-to-face greeting between them both. The smaller dog has tail tucked between the legs, indicating insecurity about the larger dog  whose posture is much more direct.  Chances are this scenario won't result in any reactivity from the smaller dog, but it is quite obviously not comfortable  with the situation. Also notice the position of the leash on the small dog, up and over its head. The dog has no room to move, or anywhere to go. This lack of autonomy can also be part and partial to the discomfort the small dog feels. 

There's no getting around it. Having a solid understanding of the body language our dogs use to communicate with one another and with us is a critical aspect of being a good dog owner. Ensuring our dogs not be overwhelmed by the social situations they find themselves in, and not forcing them to engage in activities they are clearly uncomfortable with, are important to the development of a well-rounded, secure animal. Watch your dog, listen to the cues he is giving you. You may find that your dog tells you more than you ever realized, while never saying a single word. 

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spotlight on dog behavior: stalking

5/4/2018

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A dog in a stalking posture is an amazing thing to watch. Indicating a dog in predator-mode (and yes, all dogs are predators in some sense), what each dog does after the stalk is unique and individual. Stalking has a few physical and behavioral components that I'm going to outline below, so you know when to recognize stalking in your dog. Keep in mind, stalking can be used for hunting and for play. 

Once your dog has chosen his target, you may see one or all of the following: 

The Point. Your dog becomes perfectly still and focuses his eyes on the target. The head is up, the tail is up, and often a paw is lifted as well. Pointing will usually happen at the outset of a stalk, and some dogs don't point at all. This is an upright position. Look for prolonged stillness here before your dog goes into motion. This is usually the first indication of stalking behavior about to begin.

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The Approach-Stalk. The pace is slow, deliberate, and measured. Every step is carefully calculated and gingerly alighted upon. The body is held close to the ground, and the head is low and level with the body. For some dogs who are particularly dramatic about it, it will appear as if they are crawling along the earth. 

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The Motionless Stalk. The dog freezes in place. The head and tail are down, and the ears are up and rotated forward. The body is often low to the ground, even so far as the belly is brushing along the earth. 

Once in stalking mode, your dog is likely to move through these three positions until he is close enough to take a charge at the object of his focus. Key here is to keep an eye on your dog's mouth when engaged in stalking behavior. Is it open or closed? In a "soft stalk", the mouth is usually open and relaxed. The closer the dog gets to the "prey", the more the mouth will close. It may or may not open again at the end of the stalking sequence just before the dog grabs his prey. You can determine if your dog is more "serious" about the stalk if the tail is quite low. If the tail is high, your dog is indicating some playfulness and lightheartedness. 

Stalking is a natural, normal behavior for dogs. Learning how to recognize it before and as it is happening lends us a deeper understanding of what stimulates and interests our dogs. This knowledge can only lead to us being better educated, better prepared dog owners and handlers.  

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    Author

    Camille Salter is the founder of All Dogs Pet Services and a certified, knowledge-assessed dog trainer (CPDT-KA)

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I cannot say enough good things about Camille and her team. A few months ago, I had to temporarily close my own dog walking business due to an unexpected and debilitating health issue. Camille's team not only stepped in to cover a significant number of "my" dogs, they did an exceptional job. This would not have been possible without Camille's management capabilities and her walkers' skill level. I don't know if there is another company that could have done this. Camille and team, thank you for taking such good care of "my" dogs, "your" dogs, and giving me the time to heal. If you are looking for a walker, there is no company I could more highly recommend than All Dogs Toronto." - Kate Fink

We have been sending our Goldendoodle to All Dogs for over a year, ever since Zoki was a young puppy. While we are at work we know that Zoki is in a safe and supportive environment where she has learned to interact well with other dogs. Ben and Camille have made it possible for us to continue to have active, professional lives, and a young dog. Since Zoki is so at home there, it has been easy to leave her for a week when we have both had to be out of town. We highly recommend their thoughtful and well-informed care. - -- Christina Kramer and Richard Franz


I cannot say enough positive things about Camille Salter, the owner of All Dogs. From the moment my rescue dog and I met Camille, I knew she would work wonders. Her demeanor, grace and confidence made my dog fall in love her instantly. She is so incredibly knowledgeable that I try to soak up as much information as I can from her.


I highly highly recommend Camille Salter and All Dogs. Whether you are looking for a professional trainer or walking, she will provide you with all of the tools needed to ensure your dog is set up for success.

Camille is truly a pillar in the community of canine training within Toronto.

Thank you Camille!! - Tessa Vaskas


Camille and All Dogs have been amazing for our Basset Hound, Columbo. We have been using the service for the last six months. Columbo started with puppy training with All Dogs and he has learned all the commands. Training has been reinforced during Columbo's puppy visits which has helped greatly during his growth and development. Camille and her team are on-time, attentive, supportive, great with our Columbo and our house. We appreciate everything that she has done and recommend her to anyone. " Andrea Suhay


"Camille is amazing. Really understands each dog’s unique personality and applies individual techniques based on it. I use their daycare, boarding, training, walking... my dog always comes back better behaved & full of love and Camille is so insightful that I learn about my dog, too! My dog adores her. Super trustworthy and effective." Kathryn Kearns


"I highly recommend Camille and All Dogs Pet Services. I recently used All Dogs Pet Services to walk my dog for two weeks while I was out of town. Camille was able to accommodate walking my dog on short notice. Camille is very pleasant and cheerful to deal with and from the first meet and greet Camille had with myself and my dog Charlie I felt confident that Charlie would be safe and in good hands. I will definitely call Camille again and recommend her to all my dog owner friends." - Richard Fernandez



Overall, Camille definitely made being away from my babies a far less nerve-wracking experience! I trust her and would hire her again in an instant." - Amanda Factor


"I can't say enough positive things about Ben and Camille!  Camille (and her large  support of other trainers) have assessed Bax, and we are all happily working through his (fearful aggression, "spoiled Prince" and bulldog tendencies) and MY issues.  Thank you, Ben and Camille, for your patience, care and love for my sweet fat Baxter. I know that he is in the best hands whenever I have to go out of town!"
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"—Camille looked after our diabetic Cat and did a fantastic job. He was going into remission right when we had a 1-week vacation scheduled. Camille was more than up to the task. She had to measure his blood daily and give him the corresponding amount of insulin. It was very reassuring knowing we had a real professional looking after our critter. She did a great job of looking after our apartment also and we didnt even know that was something she would do. Couldn't possibly give a stronger recommendation for this company." - Holt Mansfield

“I adopted Frank not even a month ago. I’ve been training him myself, and got him to do ’sit,’ ‘down,’ ‘come,’ and ‘wait,’ at home. But when we went outside, it was a different story: he got a bit too excited, and that led to pulling on the leash, which wasn’t a pleasant experience for either of us. He never made eye contact with me, and calling his name and offering treats of all sorts didn’t do much, either. Working with Camille turned this around after just one session — she was so patient and calm with both me and Frank, and taught me how I could get Frank to connect the dots between paying attention to me and getting food. Since then, he comes and sits upon command even in the most distracting situations like being surrounded by other dogs in a park with firetruck siren blaring in the background. It’s been so rewarding to start developing this bond with Frank that will last a lifetime. Thank you Camille!” - Maythe Han


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