You have heard of Love Languages right?
Well our Dogs have Love Languages to! Let’s ignore how these may pertain to people & focus on our pups!
Many of you May have noticed that your furry friends pull away or get bothered by certain things we do, right? Or that one dog gets more excited about certain things than the other does??
In General there are 5 Categories for Love Languages: • Words of affirmation. Praising and using positive words & gestures. • Quality time. This language is all about giving your undivided attention. • Receiving gifts • Acts of service (taking your dog places & simply DOING things for/WITH your dog that you Know they enjoy) • Physical touch (pay Close attention to if the PREFERRED type of touch is slow, soft & gentle OR if your pup loves rough rubs and big hugs!)
For example, my puppy Dakota’s Love Languages are Quality Time and (Partly) Physical Touch. She Loves Quality Time, she will follow me room to room and lay wherever I am and just likes knowing I’m there. She Prefers to just sit next to us and she likes gentle pets & rubs BUT she Hates being held, hugged or restrained in any way or being rubbed roughly & Sometimes she doesn’t want to be touched at all! If she feels controlled she gets bothered and therefore is unhappy.
NONE of us want our puppies unhappy but sometimes we love them so much we do what WE want without paying Close Attention to what They want.
And some people think that they will just get used to it which eventually they will just tolerate it BUT they will never Love those things that you do even IF You love doing those things! They Try to communicate to us the things they Like & what they Don’t like, we just NEED TO PAY ATTENTION! 💕
SO, as you get to know your puppy watch for certain behaviors that Communicate the likes or dislikes of your puppy!
If puppy pulls away, licks his/her lips, growls, puts his/her tail down or other signs of dislike Then write it down as things your puppy Doesn’t like and Try very hard to Respect those dislikes!
*** Even if it’s stuff You enjoy doing with/to your puppy, don’t out of respect to the dog you love! Like it makes me so sad Dakota doesn’t want to be held or hugged but it’s her Body and I need to respect how she feels.
Dogs have Boundaries & Limits just like us 😉😁
** Have to ADD:: I didn’t want to go on about All of my dogs but Yes, dogs Can change a bit and May be more ACCEPTING of certain things with time BUT it’s Usually just Acceptance and they do not Truly Enjoy these things. I’m not saying dogs that used to pull away when being pet shouldn’t be pet or do not like it! I am saying calmly repeat things (actions/behaviors) & OBSERVE how your dog TRULY feels about it. Most dogs enjoy being pet BUT Most have a PREFERENCE of HOW & WHERE they like being pet. That’s what I’m getting at. An example is, just like introverts Naturally like being observant and not very involved they May participate Because it’s Required or just life but it’s not something they Enjoy or Want to do.
We want our dogs to Enjoy Everything (non-Essential) we do To them & With them Not just Tolerate things. We all do like different things at Different Times in our lives so REEVALUATE THEIR LOVE LANGUAGES THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES 😉💕
Like my dog Max’s Love Languages are Quality Time and Soft Physical Touch (like Dakota) and just like Dakota he Hates rough housing or rough rubs/pets and Only likes to be loved Gently and calmly and he is an Adult 😅🤷🏼♀️ He will come up and Try to tolerate the rough housing just to be involved with everyone at That Moment but it’s Clear he doesn’t Like it or Enjoy it.
Our dog Georgia, as a baby you could lay against her, hold her little face (like a grandma would lol), hug her & basically do Anything rough or crazy && she LOVED it and she is a very rough Love kind of dog. She doesn’t care for gentle pets she Tries to get us to play crazy ALL the time! Her Love Languages are Quality Time & Acts Of Service! She Always wants us to do things for her and Loves when we take the time to take her somewhere special, race her, play tug of war or just wrestle her crazy butt lol
“These behaviors are symptoms that a dog is feeling fearful and anxious: • Whining. • Submissive urination. • Growling. • Biting. • Pacing. • Destructiveness. • Clinginess to owner. • Some Barking.”
“10 Signs Your Dog Is Happy 1. His eyes and eyelids are relaxed, he blinks a lot, his gaze is soft and his brow is smooth. His ears are also relaxed, not cocked or pointing. His mouth is open a bit with a few teeth visible (but not bared), his tongue may be lolling and he may even appear to be smiling. 2. She's holding her body in a relaxed posture versus a tense or stiff stance. She's holding her tail high and wagging it with such gusto her whole body is wiggling. Alternatively, her tail may be in a more neutral position, with a softer, slower wag. 3. APPLIES TO OLDER DOGS, OVER 1 YEAR OLD - He has Little to no destructive behaviors, even when he's home alone. Happy dogs generally get plenty of physical and mental stimulation. Bored, under-exercised, under-stimulated dogs are more likely to become destructive, along with dogs who suffer from separation anxiety. 4. She loves to play. Happy dogs are always up for a game or a walk or a ride in the car. Since exercise and play are so natural for dogs, if your canine companion doesn't seem interested, she may be dealing with some pain or an illness, and it's time to make an appointment with your veterinarian. 5. He's belly-up and tongue out. Happy dogs tend to show their bellies and tongues as they wriggle around on their backs. Happy belly displays are different from submissive belly rolls in which the dog's mouth is usually closed and his body is stiff. 6. Her appetite is good, which indicates she's both happy and feeling physically well. A noticeable decrease (or increase) in your pet's appetite can be a symptom of an underlying condition. 7. He's happy barking. Some dogs rarely bark, but those who do tend to have a higher-pitched bark when they're happy that usually doesn't last long. 8. She play bows. Many happy dogs raise their backsides in the air and lower their chests to the ground as an invitation to play with either their favorite human or a doggy friend. 9. He leans into you. A happy dog will often lean into your hand when you pet him, and lean into or keep contact with your body whenever the opportunity presents itself. 10. She's thrilled to see you. Happy dogs are without fail excited to see their human come through the door, even if said human has only stepped outside for a minute to check the weather
*** I do NOT mean: don’t give baths, don’t trim nails, avoid car rides, don’t go on walks or don’t do other Important things!!! If your dog is Not liking things Consider WHAT & WHY your dog is unhappy about those things and Try to do those things in a way your dog will like OR help your dog know that it Will be ok and talk to them calmingly through it and they will get used to the things that are required and important to do. The Above Post is about Behaviors or Actions that can be Avoided and are Not Essential to your dogs health or to live a happy life! 😅😂
This is such GREAT information! ]t's wonderful to be able to learn how to recognize a puppy/dog's love language so that we can be the best doggie parents we can be and create an even happier family. Thank you Ashley!