Get to know your dogs better this International Dog Day

Every year on 26th August, International Dog Day is celebrated all over the world. This day was founded by Animal Welfare Advocate and Pet Lifestyle Expert Colleen Paige to recognize the need of dogs around us, be it street dogs, pets dogs, mixed breed or purebred. 

Dogs are said to be loyal friends forever! They love us more than anyone and without conditions. Despite our affection towards our dogs, it becomes a little tricky to understand their language because they can not speak like humans. To value these living beings this International Dog Day, we talked to Ms. Mitali Parekh, a professional canine behaviorist, to understand our dogs better.

Understanding dogs' behavior is not an ice-breaking task, it just requires a little effort and love from our side. Mitali mentioned " Dogs are very good at communicating to you as we have evolved together for thousands of years. We just need to observe and listen." 

Judging the doggy's behavior only by tail wagging is not enough! There are more ways to learn about their emotions. "Understanding the dog's body language as a whole and not just the tail is important. Looking at a dog's emotion through their survival is the most important aspect of knowing them better. All doggie behaviors are rooted in survival so look at it from that point of view and not through human emotions.", added Mitali.  

Many times, you might have come across a situation where dogs have become aggressive and tried attacking. In this case, becoming non - violent towards the street dog is the best thing you can do. If they are barking at you, stay calm and walk away from them and do not run around them, because it will give a chance to a dog to chase you, and then you can not escape the situations with long runs.

You can also send them calming signals and do not try to dominate them when they are not in the mood and being very angry. If you still get attacked, ask people around you for help and consult medical help as soon as possible.

Sometimes pet dogs become fearful and become hyperactive when someone out of your house comes to meet you. In this situation, the best you can do is to help them in calming down as the dog relies on you to remove her/him from this situation. 

If you have taken your dog out for the morning /evening walks, Mithali suggested to "Always keep your dog on a leash when outside and lure him or her away from dogs and people she does not want to meet." 

Panting, pacing when it's not hot, shivering, barking, howling when the owner is not at home can be signs of anxiety in dogs. To help your dog you must seek help from certified canine behaviorists as there are certain processes to heal them. 

Mitali Parekh suggested understanding how much and when a dog needs food can help them in maintaining good behavior. She said "Most dogs have a very good understanding of how much they want to eat and when. We should learn from them! Our job is to give them a protein-rich diet, at appropriate times (2-3 times a day) and respect them when they refuse to eat. " 

"Force-feeding can lead to many behavioral and physical problems. Some dogs are always hungry (such as Retrievers). With them, our job is to feed them appropriately so that they don't become obese." 

If you are a new parent to a baby dog, remember to be patient around them and enjoy the beginning of a new relationship. She said "Build communication through kind training methods that convey to the dog what you expect from her. It's a fun and challenging ride, like any kind of parenting, but a relationship is a place of joy or solace." 

For every kind gesture to them, you will be returned with tens. Happy international dog day!