How to Get Along With an Abused or Unfriendly Dog
Understand friendly body language., Look for signs of anxiety., Ease their anxiety., Watch out for defensive postures., Be extremely cautious around dogs that display aggressive behaviors.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand friendly body language.
When you are trying to interact with an unfriendly dog or one that you know has been abused, their body language will tell you a lot about how they are feeling and what kind of interaction they are okay with.
Ideally, the dog will display signs that they are happy and comfortable in your presence, despite their traumatic history.
These signs indicate that they are willing to interact with you and that they feel safe.
Here are some common body language cues that your dog is happy:
Relaxed body position Enthusiastic tail wagging Tail thumping the floor Play bow where their rear end is up in the air with their tail wagging while their front end is down on the ground. -
Step 2: Look for signs of anxiety.
Anxiety is very common in dogs that have been abused and that are generally unfriendly with other people.
Anxious dogs are generally fearful or stressed in the given situation, and do not want to interact with anyone else.
Here are some common signs of anxiety in dogs:
Suddenly scratching and biting at their paws or another body part Yawning when they are not tired Half moon eye One paw raised , The best way to ease a dog’s anxiety is to give them space.
An anxious dog needs space to calm down and to relieve their stress.
You can try speaking to them in a calm and soothing voice, but let them have some alone time.If this is your dog, let them go to a space that they feel safe, like their bed or crate.
If this is a stranger’s dog, you should leave the dog alone and do not try to interact with the dog.
If you are able to, try to take the dog out of the stressful situation into a calmer environment that is quieter and has less external stimuli., When dogs are defensive, or show avoidance behaviors, they want to remove themselves from a situation and may perceive something as a threat.Defensive behaviors may be accompanied by anxious or aggressive behaviors, so you should understand these behaviors as potential warning signs.
When a dog displays these behaviors, you should not try to approach them.Teeth-baring Hair standing up on their back Deep growls Stiff legged gait Prolonged stare , Aggressive behaviors range from warning behaviors to signs that an attack is imminent.
Do not approach a dog that displays any aggressive behaviors.
This puts your safety at risk and is potentially very dangerous.Dogs can be aggressive when they are fearful, feel cornered or trapped, perceive you as a threat, or want to protect their owners.
Here are some common signs of aggression in dogs.
They begin with warning signs and become increasingly intense.Their bodies are very still and rigid Deep guttural barking Lunging forward or charging Growling Snarling and baring their teeth Snapping in the air or towards a person Biting -
Step 3: Ease their anxiety.
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Step 4: Watch out for defensive postures.
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Step 5: Be extremely cautious around dogs that display aggressive behaviors.
Detailed Guide
When you are trying to interact with an unfriendly dog or one that you know has been abused, their body language will tell you a lot about how they are feeling and what kind of interaction they are okay with.
Ideally, the dog will display signs that they are happy and comfortable in your presence, despite their traumatic history.
These signs indicate that they are willing to interact with you and that they feel safe.
Here are some common body language cues that your dog is happy:
Relaxed body position Enthusiastic tail wagging Tail thumping the floor Play bow where their rear end is up in the air with their tail wagging while their front end is down on the ground.
Anxiety is very common in dogs that have been abused and that are generally unfriendly with other people.
Anxious dogs are generally fearful or stressed in the given situation, and do not want to interact with anyone else.
Here are some common signs of anxiety in dogs:
Suddenly scratching and biting at their paws or another body part Yawning when they are not tired Half moon eye One paw raised , The best way to ease a dog’s anxiety is to give them space.
An anxious dog needs space to calm down and to relieve their stress.
You can try speaking to them in a calm and soothing voice, but let them have some alone time.If this is your dog, let them go to a space that they feel safe, like their bed or crate.
If this is a stranger’s dog, you should leave the dog alone and do not try to interact with the dog.
If you are able to, try to take the dog out of the stressful situation into a calmer environment that is quieter and has less external stimuli., When dogs are defensive, or show avoidance behaviors, they want to remove themselves from a situation and may perceive something as a threat.Defensive behaviors may be accompanied by anxious or aggressive behaviors, so you should understand these behaviors as potential warning signs.
When a dog displays these behaviors, you should not try to approach them.Teeth-baring Hair standing up on their back Deep growls Stiff legged gait Prolonged stare , Aggressive behaviors range from warning behaviors to signs that an attack is imminent.
Do not approach a dog that displays any aggressive behaviors.
This puts your safety at risk and is potentially very dangerous.Dogs can be aggressive when they are fearful, feel cornered or trapped, perceive you as a threat, or want to protect their owners.
Here are some common signs of aggression in dogs.
They begin with warning signs and become increasingly intense.Their bodies are very still and rigid Deep guttural barking Lunging forward or charging Growling Snarling and baring their teeth Snapping in the air or towards a person Biting
About the Author
Alice Ramos
Committed to making DIY projects accessible and understandable for everyone.
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