BL

Question 1

What are the 5 Key Principals of successful body language evaluation?

Answer 1

Context is everything
Its not about the big stuff
The camera does lie
Being objective only gets you so far
When in doubt, assume fear

Question 2

How do we understand the B that dogs show us?

Answer 2

The context which we viewed it in

Question 3

What B are often “taken as read” to mean fear, anxiety or stress?

Answer 3

Lip licks

Question 4

Should be be worried about lip licks?

Answer 4

We should be alert to lip licking, but we are looking for excessive (for that dog!)

Question 5

Should we note lip licks?

Answer 5

Yes definitely.

Question 6

When are lip licks concerning

Answer 6

2/3 rapidly
Constant during exercise (multiple lip licks)
Escalation

Question 7

What is always critical in BL?

Answer 7

Baseline for individual dog
Escalation during exercise
More freq, more repeatedly

Question 8

How do we know whats excessive for a dog?

Answer 8

By knowing the baseline - what is normal for this dog?! O should be recording whats normal for their dog

Question 9

What about yawning? is this concerning?

Answer 9

Be careful that the dog wasn’t sleepy

Be careful, we don’t take the yawn in isolation

Snappy yawns are more concerning - quick yawn, tightness around the mouth

Repeated yaws, more freq, more intense red flag.

Question 10

What do a lot of dogs do after a yawn?

Answer 10

It’s often followed by a lip lick! this is one sign - not 2 individual signs

Question 11

Is Stretching concerning

Answer 11

Context is key!
What was before? Was the dog led down?

Be alert! Do we know the baseline?

Question 12

is Tail carriage concerning

Question 13

Is there a difference between a tail hanging low and a tucked tail?

Answer 13

Yes a big one! Tail tucking requires energy; a neutral tail doesn’t.

Dogs are good economists and if there is no need to do anything with their tail they often don’t do anything i.e. it hangs down!

Question 14

What does watching dogs eating tell us about tail position?

Answer 14

This will give us a neutral tail - normally hanging down. No S triggering a R in the tail

Question 15

When does tail wag?

Answer 15

In R to a S - it could be good, scary or anxious S

Question 16

Do all dogs have a neutral tail?

Answer 16

No! Some will naturally have curled tails!

Question 17

Is grooming concerning?

Answer 17

It can be! context is important. It may be something, it may be nothing. Pay attention but by itself it may not be that meaningful.

We also need to know the baseline.

Intensity and repeated grooming will be key

Question 18

What are displacement Bs?

Answer 18

Wrong time, wrong place, out of context

Question 19

How does JN clarify Displacement B

Answer 19

Thinking something through. Fidget B. Processesing, wondering. Doesn’t necessarily mean fear!

Question 20

Even if the B is out of context don’t assume its stress T or F

Answer 20

True

Question 21

Is shake offs concerning?

Answer 21

Seems to be shift in emotional R. Doesn’t mean immediate red flag but do watch for it.

Question 22

Is painting worrying?

Answer 22

Fearful dogs will pant
Hot dogs will pant

Question 23

What looks different between a stress pant in a dog and a hot dog?

Answer 23

Stress panting looks different to hot panting - tightness in face, opening of eyes dilation of pupils. It looks different to hot panting.

BUT getting hot can stress a dog out so we can see heat panting with stress in it!

Question 24

What question should we ask with panting?

Answer 24

Does he do it at any other time? If no we can safely assume its a stress R

Question 25

Why are A important?

Answer 25

When dogs start to learn to be h/a there is a bit of conflict - he has a hx of feeling stressed and anxious when being left. We can see conflict and uncertainty here.

Question 25

How do we know if a B is concerning?

Answer 25

Antecedents!

Question 26

How do we separate innocent from concerning?

Answer 26

A! Baseline/normal for that dog Immediate A: eg. yawns - sleepiness/sleeping

Question 27

What A's will we look for at panting?

Answer 27

Look a bit further back. Ask O Does this happen at any other time Is he a panty dog? Does he get hot? Is he panting now?

Question 28

What should we think through with all B's?

Answer 28

Is there anything that happened immediately before which could explain this B?

Question 29

What sort of B are we looking for?

Answer 29

Micro tells

Question 30

Do all dogs with SA panic?

Answer 30

NO! they don't always even though it's a "panic" disorder. The brain can be fearful without panic

Question 31

What does panic look like?

Answer 31

Panting Drawn back mouth Heavy panting Dilated pupils Tucked tail Bent back legs Hind dropped

Question 32

Will we see dogs panicking on our watch?

Answer 32

NO!!! We are working sub threshold.

Question 33

What are we spotting then when looking at body language?

Answer 33

When the dog is about to get anxious. Spot what the dog does at it's just starting to be concerned.

Question 34

What are the most common micro tells in SA?

Answer 34

Displacement B Weight shifting (standing, sitting, lying - looks on edge) Pace of movement (Especially following) Small/quite vocalisations (& how does this predict the dogs ongoing response) Dilated pupils Stiffness

Question 35

What do we say to O who think whining is the dogs way of getting his own way?

Answer 35

Yeah, but he can be saying I'm scared as much as he can say I'm hungry!

Question 36

Does JN love vocalisation?

Answer 36

No! Normally not a good sign but occasionally we may see a small vocalisation and not see it again! IF you see anymore whining its not great

Question 37

What can we see in stiffness?

Answer 37

Between frozen and loose! More body tension that we are comfortable with (not statuesque) just tension

Question 38

Every dog is the same when it comes to BL T or F

Answer 38

False!

Question 39

What data is golden?

Answer 39

Trends in BL that always predict anxiety is going to happen. e.g. 2 yawns always ends badly! This helps speed up training and makes it gentler on the dog because we are spotting the micro tells that say they are starting to get upset.

Question 40

What a key success factor in SA BL?

Answer 40

Coaching the O to become an expert in their own dogs SA and BL. This helps us know what's normal, what isn't etc.

Question 41

How should we set up cameras?

Answer 41

If only 1 camera - point at door, or even better attach to the door.

Question 42

Should we recommend a second camera?

Answer 42

Yes, Training will be more effective because you will see way more. One on the door and one where they hang out

Question 43

When might we need to confine a dog for visual purpose?

Answer 43

A dog that moves a lot between windows and doors. May need to make the space smaller so we can see pace of movement.

Question 44

Why will we be making assumptions, even if we are trying to be objective?

Answer 44

because BL is an interpretation! We aren't going to see over-threshold dogs; we want to see subtle signs!

Question 45

Where do we start in BL?

Answer 45

Objective - what I see

Question 46

What is subjective in BL?

Answer 46

How you interpret what you see. what does that mean for SA training for this dog.

Question 47

IF in any doubt what we should we do?

Answer 47

Assume fear.

Question 48

Do we have any conclusive identifiers for Frustration?

Answer 48

No! no clear evidence or research here