Canine Consent Test – Are You Sure Your Dog Wants To Be Petted?
Consent testing is simply a way of working out whether a dog wants to be petted or, picked up, for instance. It’s a way of finding out whether the dog is happy with human interaction or, if they might be unsure or worried. It’s an important skill because it helps avoid conflict between human and dog – particularly important when interacting with strange dogs, rescue dogs, or nervous dogs. Read our Holidays4Dogs article to find out more about the canine consent test.
Just like people, dogs don’t always want to be touched, or petted. This goes for dogs that are usually sociable and enjoy attention. Petting, touching, cuddling or picking your pet up when they don’t want to be – is a good way to damage trust. Clear communication is essential with any relationship and the same goes for the relationship with our pet dogs.
How do ‘ask’ my dog if they want to be petted?
The test follows some very simple steps.
Hold out your hand and if the dog approaches this is a good sign the dog is happy to interact. If they look, or walk away, this means they are not ready, or happy, to engage.
It is important not to use treats to encourage the dog. Some dogs will try to reach for the treats, while still feeling unsure. Some fearful dogs may seek comfort of touch, but make sure the dog reaches to you, not the other way around.
Although this dog below is wagging his tail, he’s not completely happy. His eyes are not soft, his body is quite stiff and he moves away from the person petting him.
The importance of observation when interacting with dogs.
Here are some handy tips to help you with the canine consent test. Try with your own dog.
Initiate interaction – reach out to the dog, but always pause before making physical contact. Observe carefully how they react. Many dogs prefer to be petted in the chest area, rather than the tops of their heads. Hands reaching out over a dog can make them anxious.
Observe – watch out for body language such as posture, tail, facial expressions and ear position.
Respect – if the dog does not appear to want to interact or be touched, respect this decision. If they are happy and come up to you with relaxed posture and happy to touch, go ahead and pet the dog. Don’t forget a dog might be happy for a certain amount of attention and then may move away again once they’ve had enough. Lots of dogs, for example, are not happy with a restrained hug.
Be patient – some dogs, such as rescue dogs, need time and patience to understand that humans aren’t scary. Learning about canine body language will help the bond to grow much more quickly as the dog will not feel forced into uncomfortable situations.
Do bear in mind, while dogs might enjoy being petted, they may become uncomfortable with a restrained hug. This is very important to understand, particularly when it comes to children and dogs.
What signs indicate a dog is saying “No”?
Dogs give plenty of signs with their body language and these many include ;-
- Showing the whites of the eyes.
- Ears pinned back.
- Tight lips and/or lip licking.
- Low and/or stiff body posture.
- Looking, turning, or moving away.
- Tucked tail, or slow, low tail wagging.
- Rolling on their belly.
- Paw lift.
- Lip curling.
- Growling.
The benefits of a canine consent test and why it’s important.
Consent testing allows people to recognise potentially problematic situations and prevents things from escalating further. It reduces stress and improves the bond between dog and human. Clear communication and trust improves training goals too. Teaching children these simple steps improves safety where dogs live with children, as well as with strange dogs.
Final thoughts.
By practising consent testing techniques its possible to strengthen the bond, trust and confidence with the dog in question. It also improves welfare and guards against conflict between people and dogs, resulting in less stress for pets and fewer incidents of dog bites.
