Should dog owners have to take a course in canine behaviour and body language?

There will be a huge divide when it comes to this post, as with anything some will agree and some wont.

As a dog trainer, even in my general classes and not even any behavioural cases we see a lot of people who just dont generally understand dog behaviour or body language. Most of the time its nothing sinister, its not ignorance, its just where people haven't been taught it. Someone needs to be teaching people these things but unfortunately a lot of the time it just doesn't happen.

In my puppy classes, after every class i give my clients for the option of 5 minutes socialising and playing to get the puppies used to eachother and also giving the owners a chance to learn about appropriate socialisation. This is NEVER a free for all, if certain puppies are less confident or not interested in playing then we ensure that they get the space they need. Owners are pointed out if their puppy is playing rudely, if some are enjoying it and if some arent. They are taught what is appropriate play behaviour and what isn't.

My clients also all have access to whatsapp me, send me videos of their dogs and ask for advice on what their dogs are doing. I've had clients send me videos of their new puppies playing with their older dogs, asking if the older dogs like it or not. This is what us trainers should be here for.

A dog and its owner

Every dog owner should understand the stress signals of dogs, what appropriate play and socialisation looks like. I see so many people out on walks go 'oh dont sniff his bum that's disgusting'. while yes its strange to a human this is actually respectful behaviour for a dog, and a lot less confrontational than face to face advances.

Too many people let their dogs approach other dogs head on while on a lead, not realising that they are potentially adding so much stress to their dog. That they could actually be causing a confrontation rather than appropriate greetings between dogs.

Unfortunately due to the issues that lockdown caused to a

lot of dogs, it has also created an issue where dogs dont know how to naturally socialise. Too many dogs now dont know how to appropriately socialise with others, and we are seeing more and more dogs with behavioural issues everyday.

So ontop of all this, yes i believe its completely worth all dog owners learning about canine body language and behaviour. By doing so they are able to understand how their dogs are feeling, whether its around other animals, people or in different scenarios. You can potentially reduce the risk of confrontation, or problems arising between other dogs.

If you're unable to do a course yourself then talk to your dog trainer about learning about your dogs body language.