Skip to main content

These Posters Could Save Your Dog’s Life At The Dog Park

Dog parks can be a great place for your dog to get exercise and play with friends– IF your dog likes friends. And, if all the other dogs there like friends. Otherwise, it can be a tragedy waiting to happen.


Dog park fights almost always end in vet visits. Sometimes they end in hospital visits and even the tragic loss of a dog.

But do you know if your dog is really friendly? Are you sure your puppy is enjoying his time at the dog park as much as you think he he is? Misreading canine body language is easy to do. Luckily, a few free posters can help you translate how your dog feels and avoid problems at the dog park (or anywhere there are other dogs!)

Can you tell if this is friendly or not?
The International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC), a professional association for the field of animal behavior consulting, has just launched their Dog Park Safety Project.

“Dr. Jessica Hekman approached the IAABC with the idea for a series of dog park posters promoting healthy interactions between dogs,” Marjie Alonso, executive director for the IAABC told iHeartDogs. “The idea was to have, with Lili Chin as the artist, extremely simple renderings of basic best practices and body language awareness. Simple is key so that people can get the message in a single, even subliminal glance.”

The IAABC wanted the posters to have a positive message.

“We wanted no judgement involved, no shaming or scolding,” Alonso added. “We’re simply trying to help animals and their owners have better experiences.”

The four posters, shown below, are available to members in high-definition PDFS, but they are delighted to share the jpegs free of charge to whomever might benefit them. The IAABC has many other posters pertaining to dog behavior on their site as well.

Image source: International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants

Image source: International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
Image source: International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
Image source: International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants
They are also available in Spanish, Norwegian, Japanese, and French.

If you have a dog with behavior issues, IAABC is a great resource to find professionals in your area whose approaches are “effective, ethical and science-based” explains Alonso.

We have run with the concept, and have horse, cat and parrot posters in the pipeline as well as more dog play and behavior ones.

“IAABC consultants are certified through an extremely rigorous application that assesses application of knowledge, as well as the theory. Our members adhere to LIMA guidelines (which can be found [here].”

For more information or to download the posters in jpeg, visit their website or Facebook page.
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

“I’m Not Leaving You, Mama!” This is What Love Looks Like.

UPDATE: Lizzie and Phantom are currently recovering in an outdoor koala ward within the  Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital . They’re doing swimmingly; Phantom is both gaining weight and exploring his temporary habitat. And of course, mama and baby are sharing more adorable cuddles! For most species in the animal kingdom, the bond between mother and baby is incredibly strong. That's pretty much inarguable. But last week, two koalas in Australia further proved it. After they were hit by a car, Lizzie and her joey, Phantom were welcomed into the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Six-month-old Phantom had escaped the accident unscathed. Lizzie, however, wasn’t looking so good, what with facial trauma and a collapsed lung. In order to survive, she needed to go under the surgeon’s knife. But this marsupial mama wasn’t alone during the life-saving procedure. Phantom accompanied her and clung to her as she received treatment. The vets let them be; Phantom was too y...
Read more

Stop holding the (2018) Yulin dog meat & lychee festival in Yulin, (Guangxi) China.

This "festival" is an event that starts on June 21st of every year during the summer solstice and it lasts for 10 long horrifying days in which 10,000–15,000 dogs (as well as cats) are tortured and then consumed. However, it is estimated 25 million dogs are stolen, sold, bought, and eaten every year with the illegal dog and cat meat trade. A larger percentage of these dogs consist of pets stolen right from their loving families. The rest of the dogs are captured strays from the streets and some raised in dog farms. After these animals are stolen, bought, or captured they are then transported for days without any food or water, crammed in tiny cages together so tightly that they are unable to even move. At the yulin festival, throughout those days, these animals will be hung, burned, skinned, boiled, torched, dismembered, electrocuted and beaten...ALIVE..out in the streets for public view. But If that isn't bad enough, they intentionally torture these animals in f...
Read more

Protect Our Waters: Say No To Plastic Waste!

Plastic garbage. It’s something we all see everyday. Don’t be fooled to think that these plastics are merely an eyesore.  We’ve become so accustomed to using plastic utensils, straws, water bottles and bags that it’s easy to forget the impact this has on our environment and climate. My name is Tyler and I’m in my fourth year of university in Canada, where I’m earning a degree in Environmental Studies. I'm also an environmental activist.  Even for someone like me, it’s hard to avoid using plastic at places like fast food restaurant, and that needs to change.   I’ve started this movement to highlight calls to action happening around the world, and to grow a community of everyday citizens pressing governments and companies to get serious about cleaning up our rivers, lakes and oceans . When we work together, and keep the pressure on, we really can make an impact. I know this firsthand, after collaborating with activists across Canada to successfully urge th...
Read more