Pooches & Protest: When It's Best to Leave Your Dog at Home
Friends, we are living in some crazy times. A lot of scary stuff has been going on the United States government and I am one of the millions who are scared and angry. I was fortunate enough to be a participant in the Women's March on Washington and since then have been actively seeking ways to engage with the political process and make my voice heard! So, what does this have to do with dogs?At many of the events I've attended recently, from the Inauguration Day protest, to the Women's March, to the recent No Ban No Wall rally in San Francisco, I have seen a lot of folks coming out with their dogs. Believe me, I get it! I would by lying if I said I haven't considered buying Muchacho a Bad Hombre t-shirt, but when it comes down to it, large, loud gatherings like marches and rallies are incredibly overwhelming for most dogs. There are certainly some exceptions — dogs that have been carefully and systematically socialized to a wide variety of situations, like therapy and service dogs, for example, may be fine in a noisy crowd — but most dogs will simply find it stressful.
Keep in mind that socialization should be done slowly and carefully, in increments that allow the dog to remain comfortable. It's important to expose puppies and dogs to new situations, but too much too fast is called flooding and will actually result in your dog becoming more fearful. When your dog is stressed or afraid, the situation no longer becomes conducive to learning. Here are a few signals to look for that will indicate that your dog is uncomfortable and should be removed from a stressful situation:
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| Photo: Sit Stay Play |
Yawning: Is your dog well rested but yawning? This is a way of releasing stress and is a sign your dog is uncomfortable.
Tucked tail: A dog that is holding his tail low or has it tucked between their legs is fearful.
Stiff body: A happy dog usually has a loose, wiggly body. If a dog is holding stiff, it's not a good sign.
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| Photo: Rocio Camarena |
Shaking off: A dry dog that decides to suddenly shake off is releasing stress.
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| Photo: Sit Stay Play |
Licking lips: If there are no treats or food around but your dog is licking their lips, they are probably stressed.
Drooling: If no food is present and your dog is drooling, she is most likely highly stressed.
Pinned/flattened ears: This depends a bit on the ear type of your dog, but if your dogs ears are normally held up or out when relaxed, and they are currently held back or flat against his head, he is showing you that he is uncomfortable.
