12/22/2025
Such good info!
How do you read "nothing"?
There's silence and stillness, but in that moment maybe you are picking up on something else?
Information can be read more easily when we actually take noise out of the equation.
We may be good at picking up when a dog is full of excitement or anticipation because there may be a certain higher, repetitive shorter "yip" bark.
Now imagine if we can have that clarity in how they're feeling by noticing the quieter signals.
Start with the bark, (strange place to start when talking about silent communication), but what do you notice when they're barking?
Do you notice the facial tension?
What are their ears doing?
Is there movement?
Jumping or rushing at people?
What are they doing with their bodies?
Are they still, moving towards or backing off?
Now try to put the bark aside, just for the moment.
What did their body tell you?
What did you notice? Did any of what you saw change how you think they feel?
The more we notice the "other" information dogs share, the more we can start to read their emotional state and that understanding can change everything.
