MAITLAND, Fla. – You think you know your dog, but do you really understand what your pet is telling you?
A day at the dog park can mean fun in the sun, but if you've ever been, you know-- sometimes it can switch on a dime.
[WEB EXTRA: Signs of stress | In-depth dog body language | Dog calming signals | Dog Park Tips ]
So Local 6 teamed up with trainer Susan Kendrick of Bowser College and headed over to doggy day care Must Love Dogs in Maitland to get Kendrick's analysis of the pack.
She scanned the group of about a dozen dogs and within seconds, Kendrick told us what she saw about them.
"This is normal play, she's pinning her. Pinning should just last a couple of seconds, though, more of a fluid give-and-take is best. I wouldn't want to keep those two out together too long, because someone might get ticked off. Those other two dogs there, that's a scuffle," said Kendrick. "That Doberman just shook it off. Shaking when they're not wet is actually a communication device to the other dog, like 'We're cool'. The other dog over there is showing she's confident and happy."
Kendrick did it all just by watching their body language.
We looked through 332 Orange County dog bite reports from October 2013 to September 2014. Of those reports, we found at least 23 of them that said "failing to control the animal, resulting in a bite".
Kendrick said those body cues are the kinds of things you want to look for to make sure you and your dog stay safe in social situations.
"Know your dog and your dog's language and be a present owner who's fully engaged with what's happening," said Kendrick. "Those body cues include the whole package. What are they saying with their whole body in context to where they are."
That means everything from ear position, to how they're holding their tail, to what they're doing with their mouth and even eyes.
If you see your dog is uncomfortable, fixing the issue could be as simple as taking a walk to keep things running smoothly. Sometimes, Kendrick said it's not just your dog, it could be somebody else's dog that needs your help.
"Ninety-nine percent of the time you can look at what's happening and predict it, and if you can predict it, you can prevent it," said Kendrick.
But if the worst case happens and a fight does break out, she said the absolute worst thing you can do is to reach in to try to break it up.
"That's the easiest way to get bitten," said Kendrick. "Dogs who are in the moment of a fight with another dog can easily redirect to a hand, not realizing it's their owner's hand."
Instead, Kendrick offered up a few other solutions, in escalating order.
First, she said the idea is to startle the dogs to get them apart. For example, you can pour a water bottle on their heads over their eyes. If that doesn't work, you can also try blowing a whistle, or even a small air horn. She said usually, that kind of noise will startle them and they'll pull apart long enough for you to get a barrier in between.
If none of those work, Kendrick said the last resort is a physical action that requires a team of at least two people.
"You may need to have two people both take the dogs by the top of the thighs and then you want to pull up and back to pull them apart simultaneously," said Kendrick. "The goal being that you're pulling them apart and quickly getting a chair or some kind of a branch in between, something that's going to be a barrier in between the dogs. Then get them out of there as quickly as possible because by then their cortisol level is so high, they are not going to be able to quickly flip the switch."
Kendrick said it's important to grab the dog by the right spot, so as not to injure it. You can see a demo of where to grab in the video above.
Here are some other behaviors Kendrick said you may want to look for at the dog park:
When play goes bad
Dogs who are getting overstimulated when playing will often start going vertical, up on hind legs, or they will loose the "give and take" in their play and will start to pin the other dog for an extended period.
When play is good
There is a lot of fluid motion-- one dog is on top for seconds then they both run, then the other is on top for just seconds. It's very much a balanced, "give and take" feeling. You don't need to necessarily panic if there's some growling associated with play, often that's their way of communicating, 'Hey, back off." A growl is simply a soft communication a dog has, as humans we take offense to it, but dogs understand it.
The human's role
Actively supervise. Just like with kids, dog play can go from nice play to over-stimulation quickly and someone's feelings get hurt.
If play seems to be escalating to a place of over-stimulation, it's best to call your dog to you and take a break. Take a quick walk or throw a ball or run, calling their names so that the dogs chase you vs. intensifying the play. You can successfully do this with just one minute of a "redirect" of their attention on you or a ball, etc.
Signs to look for
Tail placement: Fluid, loose and fairly low wag means relaxed. The higher and less motion, generally (not always), the more anxious/over stimulated. Dogs with docked tails are at a disadvantage. This is outlawed in many countries, by the way.
Eyes: "Whale eye" is when the whites of the dog's eyes are showing. This is a sign of stress.
Mouth: Closed mouth (for more than a minute or so) can mean a dog who is stressed or over the threshold of toleration of the situation. Locomotive breathing, very fast, frantic breaths not necessarily associated with vigorous play, can also be a sign of distress.
Hackles are raised: Stimulation is increasing.
Ears: Ears that are pinned back can mean anxiousness or fear. Ears extremely forward can be ready to engage in a battle. This is a hard one and has to be taken in context with the whole, big picture of the dog's body.
Fluid movement: When playing with other dogs, we want to see lots of movement, such as play bows, running a bit, then a pin down for only seconds, then more running, etc.
Best thing to see: Play bows (like a downward dog in yoga) which is an invitation to play. And, if there is a yelp, you want to see both dogs stop instantly and both "shake it off", which looks like a shake that happens when they are wet, but they aren't. This is a signal of "I didn't mean harm" to the other dog.