COVID-19 according to dogs - Respect for distances

According to an article by DOBREDOG, the Academy of Dog Education and Culture, if we want to have a relationship of trust and mutual affection with our dog, respect for mutual distances is fundamental.

Space takes on a subjective value for each person, and so it is for the dog as well. In fact, it depends on numerous factors, such as the distance from the subject and important objects for it (such as the dog bowl which can take on a very high value); the status of individuals in space; the function of space (the role played by the front door, as the entrance to our dog's den); the size of the space.

According to DOBREDOG , the distance that must be maintained with our dog varies according to 4 proxemic bubbles, or concentric circles that form around the dog and vary according to his experience, his mood, his personal characteristics, subjects passing through it, and many other factors.
- PUBLIC AREA, the outermost bubble to which the dog does not pay attention and where therefore even strangers can pass safely
- SOCIAL ZONE, so called because people who enter this bubble tend to establish a relationship with the dog in question;
- INDIVIDUAL OR PERSONAL AREA, reserved for individuals that the dog knows and, above all, whom he trusts;
- INTIMATE AREA, the most precious area for the dog, and which must therefore be entered with caution and respect. It is the space that is cut out when it needs solitude or rest.

It is very important that dogs feel they can have their own space, where they can take refuge after a stressful situation, where they feel protected and safe. Often they choose it alone and we must respect this need, especially if we live with small children who often play instinctively and very lively with their 4-legged friend, leading them to a stressful situation from which they must then free themselves from alone.

We conclude the article with an idea of ​​the area most taken under the leg and misunderstood: that of personal possession, an imaginary triangle that has the dog's nose as its apex and extends perpendicularly to the ground. will do everything to defend it. We must try to take that object through an exchange (perhaps with something similar or of greater value) and not through force, because the latter act causes those aggressive behaviors in the dog that often cause unpleasant domestic episodes.

Source link: http://www.dobredog.it/category/articoli/