The Importance Of Touch And Body Language

Touch is more complex than initial appearance may suggest. Touch is expressive and communicative. Touch can be patting, stroking, repositioning, tapping, leaning, leash pressure, and more. Never forget that dogs have a sense of themselves, some more so than others. Not obtaining permission to handle before touching a dog can result in aversion or even a bite. The idea that we should be able to just walk up and touch any dog is as absurd as thinking we can just walk up and touch any human.

Body language is something that all good trainers and handlers are keenly aware of, because the dog is keenly aware of it as well. Unclear or confusing body language is prominent among the factors I see in pet owners’ difficulty with their dog. Body language includes posture, movement, proximity, speed of movement, integration of movement with intent, and more. For this reason, part of dog trainng in this regard often ends up being people training -- teaching people how to move so their dog can understand them.