Member-only story
Dogs Communicate All the Time
It’s our job to listen
Dogs are remarkable communicators. They both “speak” and listen very well. They have a naturally high EQ.
Problems arise when clueless people ignore the dog’s attempts to talk to us.
For example, let’s say you have a dog that doesn’t want to be hugged. Maybe because it has experienced abuse. Or maybe it simply feels scared or miserable when it is hugged.
It’s a soft, fluffy, dog though, and you want to hug it.
So you hug the dog. Because, of course, it’s all about you.
The dog cringes. It becomes rigid. It gives other signs of being unhappy.
You ignore this, but the dog, trying to be a good sport, tolerates it.
Until one day, the dog is really stressed out for some reason.
Maybe he’s sick. Maybe he had other unpleasant experiences. Maybe he can hear sounds that you can’t that are making him extra nervous. Maybe he’s just tired of his needs being ignored, even though he’s made them clear.
This time, when you force a hug on him, he snaps and nips you.
Not enough to seriously hurt you. Not enough to break the skin.
