Let’s Talk Consent.

This photo of Bubs and I inspired me to bring up a very important concept when working and living with dogs: Consent.

Consent is not just about someone saying “yes”. It is about allowing an individual to give their okay all the way through an interaction. Just because they said “yes” at the beginning, doesn’t always mean that they will continue to do so. It is important to listen and watch for those cues throughout an interaction. Pausing to see how they are feeling is always a good idea.

I have personally witnessed on multiple occasions where a dog shows discomfort (even growling and snapping) when being touched, even though they chose to sit on a person’s lap. This could be because they consented to being close, but not necessarily to being touched, and that this miscommunication continues to take place. Physical discomfort should also be considered in these cases!

Other times a dog might growl at a human for being near, even if they are not touching the dog. Sometimes this is the dog’s anticipatory reaction to not having their space respected on past occasions.

One of the most amazing lessons that I have learned while working with dogs is that if you give them the opportunity to say “no thanks”, then they are often more likely to say “yes” in the future! Building a deeper understanding of dog body language, and pausing to wait for a dog to make the next “move” during an interaction can really make a huge difference.