Spike is looking up at his squirrel friend who is just out of camera shot , looking down at him. The squirrels are so tame here from feeding they know just how far the dog can get before they must leap into the tree.
Eye contact is an extremely important tool in your canines life. He watches your face most of the time. Micro expressions cross your face that we are not even aware of but the dog picks up. Thus the dog learns what pleases us and what upsets us. Before any meaningful relationship can happen your dog must acknowledge you. Watching your face, hands, body movements all cue him as to what you are thinking and feeling. Before we utter a word the dog knows we are frustrated, angry or happy.
Knowing this can greatly help with training. Getting your pet to look at you boosts self esteem for them while raising awareness of their environment. I find this extremely helpful with abused ones who cower and look away. Time and treats will bring your furry , four footed one around.
When watching dogs at play they seem to have a secret language. They stand still, facing one another, then burst into play at the same time. To some it seems magical, but watching their posture, eye movements and subtle non verbal cues can help you to read what is going on in that fuzzy brain.
Getting to know your dogs subtle, non verbal language benefits you. You can accurately read if a pet is going to start a fight with another dog, lunge at cat, snap at a person, or needs to go outside. Once we become aware of this language we can quickly prevent unwanted disasters. So often it is the person who does not "read" their animal who is yelling the loudest about a dog fight or a house breaking accident. It takes some time, and for humans to step beyond our "me" world, to read and comprehend the dog. But like a good novel, the information we obtain is invaluable.
© PawEarFull Legacys
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Hello fellow animal lovers. I welcome comments and questions. Thank you in advance.