🤔How You Misread Your Dog's Emotions and What to do.

🐶Welcome Back Wonderous Dog Parent, Here’s your joyous jolt of dog-understanding for your pup adoring brain, with digging into how you & every dog parent can misread your pup’s emotions & what you can do about it. We’ll decode why dogs treat some toys like precious treasure & others like a demolition derby. PLUS there’s a sniff through 5 important telltale signs of dog joint pain you need to know…& lots more…

Enjoy!

🧐FACT or FLUFF??

‘The one benefit of a lickmat is that it slows dogs’ eating’

Dig down the page to find out…

THIS WEEK’S WOOF WISDOM

• 🤔How You Misread Your Dog's Emotions & What to do

• 🧸Why Do Dogs Adore Some Toys & Destroy Others?

• ❤️‍🩹5 Signs Your Dog Has Joint Pain & How to Treat it.

• Acting Before Thinking? See This Dog’s Epic Toy Rescue.

• 🧐More to Chew On…

😏OK..NOW WHAT? (your Q & A)
How You Misread Your Dog’s Emotions & What to do.

It’s easy to think we know exactly what our dogs are feeling, but research from Arizona State University proves we often get it wrong. Scientists showed people videos of a dog reacting to different situations, some happy, some stressful, and then switched the background context to confuse viewers.

The surprise? People judged the dog’s emotions based on the situation, not the dog’s actual behavior. For example, the same dog near a vacuum cleaner was seen as scared, but near a leash, the same behavior looked like excitement.

Adding to the mix, we project our own feelings onto our dog, making accurate reading even harder. No matter how familiar we are as dog parents to our pups we can still fall into these traps.

So, What Can You do About it?

• Be Humble About Your Reading Skills
  Accept that understanding your dog’s emotions isn’t always straightforward. This mindset opens the door to learning & paying closer attention.

• Focus on Your Dog’s Unique Behavior
  Every dog expresses feelings differently. Watch for subtle cues like changes in posture, ear position, or eye contact instead of relying on general assumptions.

• Avoid Letting Your Mood Color Their Feelings
  Check in with yourself before interpreting your pup’s emotions. Try to separate your own feelings from what your dog is actually showing.

• Look Beyond Context
  Instead of judging based on what’s happening around your dog, really observe their behavior in each moment.

• Build Your Bond Through Observation
  Spending time really watching & getting to know your pooch’s individual signals strengthens your connection & sharpens your ability to understand what they’re feeling.

Getting a true read on your dog’s emotions takes time & patience. By tuning in carefully & ditching assumptions based on context or your own mood, you’ll build a deeper, clearer connection with your pup.

🐾MORE HERE

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🎙YOUR POLL

🧠🌿WOOF WELLBEING
Why Do Dogs Adore Some Toys & Destroy Others?

This can happen often…you buy a fancy, expensive toy for your dog, only to find it shredded in minutes. Meanwhile, that forgotten, cheap toy ends up being your dog’s prized possession (enter my dog’s Kong Squeak Stick😁).

This occurs because dogs have unique reasons for treating toys differently. It’s not about who gave the toy but more about how the toy feels, smells, & sounds to them.

Research & expert insights reveal why some toys become “babies” while others meet their doom.

• Material & Texture Matter
  Dogs often favor toys with certain textures or durable materials that match their chewing style, making some toys last longer while others get destroyed quickly.

• Noise & Smell Influence Attachment
  Toys with squeakers or crinkly sounds may inspire destruction because they trigger prey instincts, while toys with pleasant smells or no noise may be “nurtured” instead.

• Prey Drive & Natural Instincts
  Chewing & shredding mimic the hunting behaviors of wild ancestors, so destruction is a natural outlet rather than bad behavior.

• Personal Preferences & Play Style
  Each dog has unique likes; some may tear apart toys easily while treating others gently based on individual preferences.

• Owner Interaction
  Toys used for tug or interactive games may wear out faster, but food-dispensing toys can keep dogs focused on the reward, reducing destruction.

Knowing why your dog treats toys differently helps you make better choices & keeps both of you happier. Picking toys that suit their style & watching how they interact lets you support their natural instincts without losing your favorite plushie to the chew gremlin.😏 

🐾MORE HERE

❤️‍🩹5 Signs Your Dog Has Joint Pain & How to Treat it.

Noticing your dog acting a bit off can be so concerning, especially when joint pain might be the cause. Dogs are tough & often hide discomfort, so it’s up to us to recognize the clues.

What Are the Achy Joint Signs?

• Limping or Stiffness
  Difficulty walking or stiffness after rest can mean your dog’s joints are hurting more than you realize.

• Irritability
  Pain can make pooches grumpy or reactive, especially if you touch a sore spot, so don’t take it personally.

• Slipping or Hopping
  More frequent slips & uneven movement often point to joint swelling or weakness.

• Lethargy
  A sudden drop in energy or reluctance to play or climb stairs could signal discomfort.

• Licking or Biting Affected Areas
  Dogs may focus on painful joints by licking or biting, trying to soothe the irritation themselves.

How Can You Help Your Pup?

• Manage Weight
  Extra pounds add pressure to joints, so keeping your dog fit & balancing their diet helps reduce pain.

• Try Mobility Supplements
  Ingredients like glucosamine & chondroitin support joint health & slow degeneration. Many dog parents are fans of green lipped muscle supplements.

• Provide Orthopedic Bedding
  A comfy bed cushions joints for better rest & less daily aches.

• Consult Your Vet About Medication
  Anti-inflammatory drugs can ease pain, but only under professional guidance & your own research can help as well as some anti-inflammatory drugs have been known to cause issues with some dogs.

• Explore Natural Therapies
  Acupuncture, massage, & gentle exercise can improve flexibility & comfort over time.

Joint pain doesn’t have to slow your dog down. Spotting these signs early & working with your vet can keep your pup moving comfortably & happily for years to come.

🐾MORE HERE

💎FOR PUPS & PAWRENTS.
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Rocky’s content spreads awareness about pet adoption, fostering & volunteering with the goal of inspiring his audience to help animals in their local community…& he has a newsletter!

You can get the FREE Rocky Kanaka dog newsletter Here that includes:

• Dog stories & recaps of Rocky’s videos.

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🤔PAWSE TO REMEMBER

Be Aware of Your Dog’s Limits. Every dog has their own comfort zone whether it’s with noise, crowds, or new experiences. Being sensitive & attentive to those boundaries reduces stress & builds trust.

👃🏻QUICK SNIFFS
More to Chew On.

• 😰Feeling Work Stress??…This shows your dog might be feeling it too.

• ⚠️$41,000 Warning! The $20 backyard item dangerous to dogs.

• 💧Pollution From Pups? Dogs damaging environment with pesticides from flea treatment.

😮OH MY DOG
Acting Before Thinking? See This Dog’s Epic Toy Rescue.

Now, we all know that all of our pooches are geniuses, but even they can have their moments just like we do…

Watch this determined “Indiana Jones” pup who maybe needed to invest in a little bit of thinking before deciding how to get to his toy.🙂

That’s OK thou, coz in the eyes of his adoring DogMum he can do no wrong:

“Mission accomplished. And only took 20 times longer and was 1000 times harder than it needed to be. I love him so much”

…& she’s right of course…he is perfect!

Enjoy.💗 

dharmas_dogs

35K followers

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🧐FACT or FLUFF??...Answer.  FLUFF

Besides slowing down eating, lickmats help calm dogs & give them mental stimulation by providing a focused, soothing activity that releases endorphins, reduces stress, boredom & anxiety, & they satisfy their natural instinct to lick & interact with their environment. Great enrichment for them!

We are here to please🐶…

Thanks for being part of the pack 😀

Keep yourself & your pups, happy & safe & see you next time!

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