What is Reddit's opinion of On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals?

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No problem!

Dropped or pinned ears can mean a few things - it really depends on the rest of her body language. Is she wagging her tail, does her posture look comfortable and welcoming otherwise? Sometimes dropped ears can simply be a way to appear friendly and non-threatening in a social situation. Other times it can indicate nervousness and discomfort. Sometimes a dog can be friendly, nervous and uncomfortable!

Physical affection can be tricky. Tolerance for/enjoyment of physical affection varies by breed, and can also increase/decrease with age. Are we talking about petting? Hugs? What parts of her body are you touching? Lots of people instinctively reach over the top of a dog's head for pets, which most breeds will find fairly intrusive, and they may instinctively duck away. Hugs are also not in a dog's vocabulary - they might tolerate them, but will most likely feel uncomfortable. Obviously, there are exceptions to this, usually in the form of some ridiculously affectionate golden retriever.

My pup grew into enjoying physical affection, but there are still certain things that he doesn't like, so I try to work with him. I offer my hand for pets, or make room on the couch to cuddle, and he can take it or leave it. I try to always give him a heads up before I go in for a scratch, and I do a lot of body handling work where I reinforce physical contact with treats so he's more excited than annoyed when I'm poking his ears or checking his toes. He's 10 months now and his enjoyment of physical affection has skyrocketed in the last 3 months.

Hope that helps! There's also this really awesome little booklet about dog body language that you might like, On Talking Terms With Dogs by Turid Rugaas. I found it incredibly informative and it's really improved how I work with my guy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003URRK44/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_HzmgFbB9FT0SK