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Local Dog Expert Says Dogs Communicate Their Feelings

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Go to any dog park in the region -- and ask dog owners if their dogs communicate with them, the answer is universal.

"Oh, absolutely," says Brad Thomas of South Side.

"Oh, yes. She talks to me all day," says Shirley Painter of Polish Hill.

"Tells you when she's mad. Tells you when he's happy. Tells you when he's sad," adds Joe Schatz of South Side.>>

"I think we understand each other," says Anthony Ciraula of Knoxville.

How can that be?

After all, a dog's brain is less than one-tenth the size of a human's brain.

But studies show that dogs play close attention to their human compatriots and have an ability to communicate their feelings to those trained to read them.

"Every day they're speaking to us," says Penny Layne, a certified professional dog trainer.

Layne has worked with hundreds of dogs.

"They talk through subtle signs, and some of us understand what a growl is, but there about seven other body languages that they're giving," says Layne.

"They're giving us signals before that growl ever comes."

At the Norwin Public Library recently, Layne gathered a number of canines with their owners.

KDKA money & politics editor Jon Delano brought his 11-year old Shetland sheepdog, a female named Tucker.

Inside the community room, the dogs were allowed to run loose with predictable results.

"Do you guys see the difference with having the leashes off? How the dogs have relaxed because they don't feel trapped, and they're able to use their own body language?" Payne told everyone.

Even the normally placid sheltie had a moment with another dog, as Tucker growled at a bigger dog.

"She says, I'm going to be the queen and I'm going to tell you all what I'm doing," explained Layne.

Layne says it's important to understand what a growl means.

"The growl is one of the most important. But what it means is that I'm uncomfortable," says Layne. "The growl means I'm uncomfortable with something that's going on, so I like to compare it to a baby crying. If a baby cries, I want to say are you wet, are you thirsty, what is it? When a dog growls, I want to look around and say, what is it that's making you growl. What are you uncomfortable with that I can help you with."

Layne says the growl does not mean anger and attack.

"He's probably afraid."

There are other less noisy signals that could alert you to a doggy concern.

"If you're hosting Thanksgiving, and people are coming in your house, and you're noticing your dog is yawning a lot and it didn't just wake up, and you're seeing some head turns as people are trying to pet the dog, and you're seeing some lip licking and tongue flicking, then you know your dog is stressing out. Maybe needs a little bit of down time by themselves."

Lip licking?

Tongue flicking?

These are low levels of stress that can be alleviated before it reaches the growl stage.

What about a dog that stares directly at you?

Layne: "It means that he's concerned. He's checking you out, and the best thing to do at that point is to stop whatever you're doing. Just stop."

Delano: "Stare back?"

Layne: "No. Never stare at a dog."

Of course, dogs have their happy moments like Mabel.

"She wiggles a lot when she's happy and her little tail goes all the time," says Nick Russo of Trafford.

Most dogs have their happy times, usually in the laps of their favorite owners or getting a belly rub or just running in the dog park.

But it's knowing the other signals that is worth taking the time to learn.

The bottom line of why it is so important to understand your dog's body language is that it will decrease stress in the household and increase safety for everyone.

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