Read Your Dog
Chris Akin, Webb Footed Kennels, Jonesboro, Arkansas says that anyone can read a dog, especially because they’re a lot like reading a teenager. The Eukanuba pro trainer says, “dogs are like teenagers, and their body language tells it all. Walk down the hall in a high school and you’ll see a guy standing straight up with his chest puffed out. He’s confident, bold, and may even be a little cocky. Another student that averts eye contact and walks with shoulders slumped down probably is feeling somewhat insecure. If you can walk into a room and read people then you can do the same with dogs.”
Akin says forward means go and backwards means no. “Any time you see forward movement in a dog you know that he’s feeling confident, happy and ready to go to work,” he said. I look at tails, eyes, ears, and shoulders. High tails, bright eyes and forward ears tell me a dog’s ready to go. But I key in on the shoulders. If a dog’s shoulders are slightly forward we’re good. If they’re really far forward, then I’ve got an arrogant dog. That cocky dog is going to have a big run but he’s gonna test you every step of the way. By watching him you know you’ve got to throttle him back to keep him focused and on track.
Backward position can be one of two things, says Akin. “A dog with ears pinned back can be scared just as a tail tucked under his body can show he lacks confidence. Training should be to focused on getting them into a better place where they’re having fun and enjoying their work. But I always question how they’re feeling, too. I watch them during feeding time to gauge volume and speed in which they eat. We’re constantly watching water intake and we look at a dog’ gum line to make sure they’re light pink which is an indication of proper hydration. Dogs with lighter or darker gums might not be getting enough nutrition, and if there is any sign of unusual behavior, we’ll take a temperature. If the dog’s temperature is out of line, then we’ll head to the vet. Something is wrong, and it’s always better to catch it earlier than later.”
And if a dog is licking his lips when you give a command? “He’s submitting and is obedient,” Akin says. “If he doesn’t then you probably are going to have to have to focus on bringing him under control.”

Ken Kalil of Kalil’s Upstate Outfitters in Lake Placid, New York, focuses his attention on a dog’s eyes, tongue, and mouth. “I always start a session or a hunt by looking at my dog’s eyes,” he said. “Dogs that have bright, alert eyes are ready to work. It’s ok if their head is moving and they’re eyes are scanning back and forth because that usually means they’re trying to figure out something. That careful surveillance is purposeful which is different from a bored dog that’s just looking around. What that dog might be studying is how to navigate terrain when running a mark or making a note of where multiple ducks are in the water.”
After watching their eyes, Kalil next looks at their mouths. “If a dog is swimming and licking at the water, then they’re either nervous or are being pushed too hard,” says Kalil. “Lapping at the water also may indicate that they’re confused about what the handler is asking them to do. Oftentimes that’s the result of a handler giving a dog too many commands, especially if those commands are different. If a handler says “come,” and follows it up with “come here” and then “come over here” the dog gets confused. While I’m looking at a dog’s lips I’ll also look at his mouth. If a dog’s mouth is closed and he's breathing slowly then you’re looking at a focused dog that’s ready to roll. A dog like that will cue you for what’s next. Say I’m running multiples; when a dog returns with a duck or a bumper I’ll ask him to give it to me and to sit. He’ll breath with his mouth open because he just got done working. But when his mouth closes I know he’s ready to be released, and that’s when I’ll send him on the next retrieve.”
Kalil advises handlers to be cautious when reading dogs behavior in certain environmental conditions. “If it’s really windy a dog might need an extra second or three to respond to your command,” he said. “If you’re calling or whistling into the wind your sounds are muffled. The same holds true when dogs are running hard in shallow water. In those instances, give your dog a little extra time to respond before making a correction. Over handling a dog is never a good thing.”

Andy Weik Ruff Country Kennels, New York State
“Tails are a good indication of a dog’s mood and attitude. A cracking tail shows that the dog is happy doing what he’s doing. The tail is straight out or slightly up and snapping back and forth. A down tail shows a dog in some kind of duress. The tail tuck could mean a bunch of different things. It might mean that that he’s not feeling well or is injured. It also can mean the dog lacks confidence in performing the task that is asked of him. If that’s the case I’ll focus on developing his confidence. I’ll increase the number of reps per day and extend them over time. If he’s still not working better then I’ll examine him or take him to a vet. He may not be feeling well.
“The ears are excellent indicators of how the dog is feeling. If they’re up and forward then I’ve got an alert dog that is ready to work. Ears that are down and pinned back indicate a nervous dog that is unsure of what is being asked of him. Ears and tails go hand in hand, so alert ears come with a cracking tail and so on.”

Todd Agnew Craney Hill Kennel, GA
“Reading spaniels is really quite difficult. They have docked tails that are always in motion, their normal attitude is animated, and their energy levels are super high. They’re smaller dogs that might not be easily seen in the thick cover of the grouse woods or in the tall grasses of the prairies. One reliable method is to watch the patterns they are running. While working into the wind, the spaniels should be casting between 9 and 3 on an imagined clock. When they veer off suddenly then they’re giving a clue that they caught scent. That’s a signal for hunters to move towards them and to get ready. Their directional changes mean that things are about to become very interesting.”

My late friend Robert Milner, the owner of Duckhill Kennels, used to say the dog’s eyes were like windows to their soul. “Their eyes will show if they are attentive, bored, playful, scared, or happy,” he said. “A focused look shows they’re ready to work, a furtive sideways glance shows they’re nervous or scared. A glance with a tilted head shows they’re confused but interested. A sullen glance may mean they’re worn out or not happy with what they’re doing. Spend some time looking at your dogs’ eyes for they’ll tell you when to train, for how long to train, or if you should hold off.”
Learn to read your dog and you’ll make an unbeatable team, one where you both have something positive to say.
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