Speakingdog K9 Behaviour & Discussion Forum

07/06/2026

Roaming with Hounds Diary

How we move in relation to others matters!!

There is a very good reason I never go to public dog parks and why we created Neuropark Facilities-
Seems, a majority of people still don't get why these Facilities exist, and why we need to care about, how one moves in relation to Neuropark boundaries, or any space, or other being for that matter.

"My dog is friendly" is in NO way a defense for dog owners not to take responsibility to scanning the area they walk in. Your dog being "friendly", running up to a group of unknown dogs walked on leads, or a group of off lead dogs, could have serious consequences.
A well socialized dog doesn't mean that they just run at eachother if they dont know eachother. Even if the know eachother, there are "politness" protocols in any animal groups. Stopping, orienting gaze, looking away, head turning, slowly curving forward, mostly proceed the dogs meeting up close, sniffing eachother, or then chasing eachother with play bows, gaze changes and head turns as breaks, for the next chase to restart until the next pause.

In NO way is letting your dog speed up to another dog polite. Nor is running, cycling or walking at a dog, or other animal.

Walking a dog on a short leash past, right next to fencing with dogs off leash in it, is in no way defendable with: "well, my dog is on the lead"
Even a footpath let's one angle in a slight curve.

Letting a dog off leash near a fenced-in area with off leashed dogs or other animals for that matter, is in no way defendable with shouting a command at your dog, only for him to eventually follow you, because you start walking away.

If a dog orients away from you, listening to your command shouting, ain't his first priority.

All these cases, are avoided responsibilities that have real impact on other dogs, other animals, other people.

How we behave in relation to others matters.

Yes, sometimes, it's inconvenient to have to think about curving, or slowing down or crossing the road instead of going straightforward where the usual route is. But that is being social, supportive, relational to others.

If I pick up my dogs poos, im bending over, using my hands to open the bag and collect the excrement- i am in no position to move at speed to jump out of the way of a runner or a cyclist speeding at me and my dogs.
But it seems in a runners or cyclists perception, owning dogs alone gives us magical skills to move in ways otherwise impossible!!

What makes humans different from other animals is, we are often selfish as Fu #$ to suit ourselfs and then wonder why society (the group) fails on some levels.

And often, it is the other party that ends up hurt, at the vet getting the dog treatment🤷‍♂️ just saying......

05/06/2026

02/06/2026

29/05/2026

Roaming with Hounds Diary

Dog Body "Language" & Relational Observation

Big words, a?!
Well, i watched a video on my Facebook thread last night of a bull breed dog getting pats from a human kneeling next to the dog. The dog had bulging eyes, sat on its side, right stifle folded under, the dog pushes his head forward a bit lifting his lip very slighly when the human pointed at his left eye, he lip licked once, the human got up turned, the dog got up, turned, sliped while moving forwards, then looked back as the human stopped, dog turned again, shook its body and off it went.
The question was, if people thought the dog was enjoying this interaction.
And if observational "science" were up to democratic voting, the "No's" and the "OMG" had it [1.]
I kept on scrolling just to see if anyone pointed out the most worrying factor in the video.
"How the dog sat!"
I must admit I didnt scroll through all 120plus No's, OMG's and long-winded opinion pieces of body language. I stopped at a very interesting comment from a replier, that what as uncomfortable but much more diplomatic then I could be.
The post started something like this: "I am gonna be outvoted on this, but...."

The "but", intrigued me instantly, because it infered a thought process deeper then the general classifiers of the "No's" and "OMG's".
It infered a relational thought process.
This person pointed out that it was a 20 seconds video, of a breed that some have bulging eyes, of a relational incident between a handler and dog, of whom's relationship we do not have information about.

This well pointed out comment was quickly answered by, this is the foster carer and the dog came from a kill shelter.

Again, the person pointed out that that information added to the video, but she was still not overly confident of "judging" whether the dog enjoyed it or not.
To me, she was the most interesting commenter. Because she understood that every detail matters. She understood, that physical signals have no universal essence- one meaning- like many words have. Body language is nothing like spoken words.
Body language is a way to communicate through movement, and movement is inherently relational!!

It depends how things move in relation to eachother and other things.
And the way we observe them, rest in our past experience- of phylogenetic and learned origins.
We cannot escape that bias, but we can do better then group thinking- and that lady showed it. She had the currage to point something very important out. And for that I salute her.

Why have I posted this, with a picture of black blobs?

Well, here is your visual exercise to "reinforce" the above point.

Look at the picture of all the black blobs on the white back ground. What do YOU observe?
Write it down.
The answer is in the comments.
If you have seen this Pic before, sorry it will likely not work for you anymore, because you have succumb to the bias of the original picture.

1.[For discussion please first read Thomas Naigles "What its like to be a bat"]
2. Picture by R C James, Life Magazine, 19th Feb 1965, 58; 7, p120

20/05/2026

Roaming with Hounds Diary

Today's client's started with the early morning session with Cookie the Lagotto, Sammie and Mazie @ Neuropark Bexley doing some simple treat search and physio exersises through the stick maze, then tire stretch, the big ramp and the cavaletti, and of course a lot of free levy walks.
Ziba was the next canine to get a sniffary through the red zone and some off lead levy walks and treat search @ Neuropark Bexley.
Rounding that walking clients off is Mr Goldfish; Toastie at Neuropark Social.
He did some treat search in the tire stretch and surprisingly lot of concwntrated levy walk without noticing dogs playing ball fetching right behind the maze. He is definately more confident today.
Back home attending to my "rudel" (group / pack) of greyhounds that are eager to get their trachea treat.

18/05/2026

The "I know its there" look