Mood swings

Good morning, in a good mood this morning? Maybe, maybe not. Just like us our dogs have mood swings; they can be in a great mood, medium or lousy similar to us. Most dogs are fairly level on the mood scale so you have to look very closely to see how they are filling from one day to the next. Luke is my big scale dog; being that he is reactive all of his emotions are larger than most so you can really tell when he is having an "off" day.

It is important to know your dog and understand that if they are having a bad day that you give them the space they need. A bad day doesn't mean they are going to attack you; maybe that they just don't want to listen or do whatever you ask of them at the drop of a hat. Maybe they are not into a snuggle session this particular morning. I know that I get in bad moods; sometimes for no reason I'm just cranky. Typically once I'm in a mood; that's it for the day.

Luke is an easy read; he is a happy dog and mostly in a great mood. But there are mornings when we wake up that he is not talking to anyone. His typical greeting is a wrap around, open mouth, huffing, tail wagging type. On his "off" days he resembles a statue, he doesn't move; there is no greeting, no acknowledgement, nothing. My kids will say "what's his problem?" I explain to them that he is not in the mood to talk today. His behavior is very level, he doesn't talk to anyone and it remains the same typically until there is a large activity or I help him out of it.

It is again all about body language; your dog will tell you what kind of mood they are in. Understanding that our dogs have good days and bad days just like us is important. It is your job to know when there is a bad day, can you tell when your dog is in a good or bad mood? I love to hear about it.