We want to see loose body language. In a nice social interaction, we are looking for a dog that approaches and is will to stay for at least two seconds of interaction. If he moves away or is fine but not soliciting attention, he is probably just tolerating our attention.
Our goal is to get enjoyment and if that is not possible then allow the dog plenty of space so he doesn’t need to tolerate us. Let him check out the environment at his own pace. Again, we want to let the dogs drive the pace of our interaction.
In this video, you will see different responses of tolerance versus enjoyment.
Petting the Dog
Here are three different examples of dogs and humans interacting. Take a look at each image and consider what you think about the dog. Is he enjoying or tolerating your action?
In the first photo the dog is leaning into the woman. He seems to be enjoying the petting and most likely in a two-second period he’s probably not going anywhere. So he’s definitely enjoying being petted.
In the second photo, the dog seems a little bit stiff. His mouth is closed and he is really not interacting with the girl. He is actually staying a few inches away from here. I would say that dog is not tolerating his interaction. What often gets us confused about tolerance versus enjoyment is in the intent of the person. Clearly, the little girl in the photo is intending to be friends with the dog. She isn’t intending to do anything bad. However, our good intentions do not make the interaction any better and it’s important to understand that just because we intend something good, doesn’t necessarily mean the dog understands our intention. So you really have to look at the dog’s body language to understand what the dog is thinking. I would say the dog is tolerating the interaction.
In the third photo, the dog seems a bit uncomfortable. You can see half-moon eyes and the dog appears stiff. He’s holding his legs very tightly. He may not mind being held by his pet parent, but this is not necessarily a dog I would reach out to pet while he is being held.
Greeting a Cautious / Shy Dog
In this video you’re going to see some footage of a dog named Shasta. Shasta is very shy and nervous around people she doesn’t know. Watch her body language as well as the way the two women adjust their body language to accommodate Shasta and make her feel less stressed.
Learning to Recognize Tolerance vs. Enjoyment
In the image sets below, think about what you’ve learned up to this point about dog body language and particularly the things you’re learned about tolerance vs. enjoyment. For each set of photos, decide if the dog is enjoying or just tolerating the interaction. We’ll do this review together, so gather your thoughts and then we’ll discuss the answers.
Answer:
In these two images, the dog is tolerating the interaction on the left…an enjoying it on the right. Look at the difference in open vs. closed mouth. The dog on the left has a closed mouth while being hugged, so he is just really tolerating that interaction.
Answer:
The puppy on the left is tolerating this interaction. His ears are down and he does not seem engaged with the person petting him. On the other side, the black dog has an open mouth, so it may appear that he’s enjoying the interaction. But if you look closely, he also has dilated pupils and unsure ears. This one is a little tougher. The important thing is to be able to justify your answer. Also, recognize that the black dog might not deal with this type of handling from someone he doesn’t know.
Answer
The black dog on the left should be relatively easy to identify. He has a closed mouth, his head is rather low and his ears are back. He is merely tolerating this interaction. The dog being walked by the woman seems to be enjoying this interaction. He has an open mouth, his body is relaxed and more neutral, and he is actually looking to the owner for attention.
Learning to Recognize “Do This” or “Don’t Do This”
In the image sets below, decide whether you think what’s going on in the images is a “do this” or a “don’t do this” when it comes to interacting with dogs. Once again, we’ll do this review together so gather your thoughts and we’ll discuss the answers.
Answer:
For both of these images, I would say this is a “don’t”. There is really no good reason to stick your hand in the dog’s mouth, especially if the dog is not interested in greeting you. Although puppies do sometimes mouth our hands and you can see that in the image on the left, we really don’t want to encourage that behavior. We want to give them something more appropriate to chew on rather than our hands.
Answer:
In both of these images, a “don’t” might occur because neither dog nor child are being supervised by an adult. However, I’m really more nervous about the baby on the chair reaching toward the dog’s face. When petting a dog, you should always avoid the eyes and the ears since these are sensitive areas for them. The other picture is a possible “do” since the boy is in the “ask the dog” stage of the greeting and the dog seems to want to say “yes”. Our concern here is that we would prefer an adult be with them.
Answer
The boy on the left is allowing the dog to approach which would be a “do”. You may have thought this to be a “don’t” because the boy is leaning over too much and actually facing forward. If that was your interpretation, then “don’t” would also be an acceptable answer. It’s always best to turn sideways when a dog is approaching and seems a little cautions with their body language. So this image could have either answer.
The black and white does does not seem to be enjoying this interaction. You can tell that by his closed mouth, he’s leaning away, and his ears are back. So this is definitely a “don’t”.