This image shows the continuum of dog body language and emotional states that we began learning about several lessons ago. You read about a scale and looking at the balance posture as being a scale that’s equally balanced. That would be green on this image. Anytime you start to move outside of that circle, you will see a decrease in the dog’s tolerance level and an increase in the risk of a bite.
Your goal is always to help move the dogs back into green states by proper use of the greeting behaviors…by understanding how to read dogs which you’re learning now and by using treat and toys to help shift the dog’s nervousness or fear back into the green emotional state.
You’ve learned to identify numerous states in dogs and now you can begin to recognize those dogs that are the safest to approach and to recognize those that you should not approach at all and should defer to your supervisor for help.
As we conclude this lesson, please refer any questions to your supervisor. If you don’t have any questions or don’t need further clarification on any of the material covered in this lesson, please proceed to the quiz for this lesson.