Showsight May 2017

“THEY MAKE IT THEIR BUSINESS TO READ OUR MOOD, AVOIDING OUR ANGER, MAKING US LAUGH JUST WHEN WE’RE READY TO CRY AND BY ALWAYS, ALWAYS ‘BEING THERE’ WHEN WE NEED THEM.”

to watch her posture and facial expres- sion. When beginning to find meat interesting, the pups will try to invade her food bowl or check out her juicy bone. They will be met with utter stillness of her body and lifted lips. She may firmly plant her chin on the edge of the food bowl or on top of her bone, a clear signal of possession any human can recognize. Look closer and you’ll note her facial expression has changed, she is looking “hard” at her toddlers and if they come closer, she’ll “show teeth” before resort- ing to snapping at a particularly bold (or stupid) puppy. Miho Nagasawa of Azabu Univer- sity, writing for Animal Cognition says “This study has shown that dogs that live closely with humans are also able to recognize positive facial expres- sions, indicating that these dogs have

acquired the social skills helpful to survive. The ability to learn to dis- criminate human facial expressions must have helped dogs to adapt to human society.” Well, you already knew all that but it’s nice to know that other smart people do too. Then, just when you think the professor knows more than you do, he says, “The reason for this difference is not clear. We can specu- late that it might have to do with evo- lution and the genetic wiring of ani- mals.” The scientist probably doesn’t own a dog but he is observant about human nature and dog behavior. “People tend to avoid coming in con- tact with situations which do not seem to be set up for a happy outcome and so it appears to be with dogs. The dogs often engage in a sort of ‘ostrich- head in the sand’ behavior, to avoid

confronting anything negative, and in this case it involves not looking at or paying attention to a human face which has an angry expression.” Most handlers and professional dog trainers know all of this. They avoid frowning and to keep the dog happy and enthusiastic about performing, they too put on a happy face. Dogs respond more to our emotions than any other non-human species. Dogs don’t fake expressions. When they have a happy face, the “smile” is absolutely genuine. They make it their business to read our mood, avoiding our anger, making us laugh just when we’re ready to cry and by always, always “being there” when we need them. Just thinking about how and why dogs came to us is enough to make you smile. So put on your happy face and give your best friend a hug!

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Central Florida

Fairgrounds Orlando, FL JOIN US FOR A FUN FILLED DAY!

• Start Time: 10 am • Guest Speaker: Frank Sabella • Lunch provided by Grills Seafood Deck • Bring your dog and dress appropriately for the show ring

• In conjunction with the Orlando cluster all breed dog shows • Free junior showmanship workshop open to anyone under the age of 18 • Half hour educational seminars

FOR INFORMATION & REGISTRATION, CONTACT JENNY DEVLIN juniorjubilee@yahoo.com | 321.438.1442 | visit the Junior Jubilee Facebook page SPONSORS: BREVARD KC/CENTRAL FLORIDA KC/SPACE COAST KC

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