Can Dogs Sense...

When a person is an animal lover? I mean, I know dogs can sense when something or someone may not be right even though we may not be able to see that.

Dunno, it's just something I've noticed over the years interacting with other dogs. Or, maybe it's just the dogs around here since most of them are kept in such bad condition - almost like "screaming" with their body launguage and eyes "Help me".

Anyways, on to the question, can they sense that? I've just noticed with myself personally that most the dogs I meet, they may be shy around others (even other dog lovers) are not shy around me and come right up for pets/play/training/etc. I was with a friend yesterday and we went to see some dogs she knows and one was a GSD, she was really shy around her and actually was walking up with an "aggressive" or very alert stance, but came right up to me wanting a few pets and tail wagging. Then her neighbor has a lab so we saw her. She's a young lab with HORRIBLE owners, anyways, she's so out of control with anything she does. So I just told her "sit" and gave her my hand signal for sit and she did. My friend said "Whoa, I've never been able to do that!"

Is it just me? Or am I absolutely crazy? lol

I absolutely think that they can! My dogs seem to like certain people more than others, and some people they can see and just start growling like crazy for no reason and they normally NEVER act that way.

One time John and I went to a friends house to help them unload a bunch of roofing shingles from a trailer. Their next door neighbor had a chocolate Lab that came over. I sat down on the ground and called to her. The guy said, "There's no way she'll let you touch her, she always growls and runs away from everyone, no one but her owners can touch her." The dog was flopped over on her back in my lap and I was rubbing her belly within 2 minutes of him saying that. The guy just said, "wow", and John told him, "yeah, stuff like that happens to her all the time" LOL

Sure they do !!!! Mainly love and fear .

Yes, I believe that too Liz.

It's not so much because you are an animal lover IMO, it's because you have confidence in your ability WITH animals. You understand them and know the level of respect to give and expect back from them.

Imagine going to see a new doctor for instance. S/he comes in all nervous and shy, not looking you in the eye, speaking weakly, you sense immediately they have no confidence in themselves so why on earth would YOU put confidence in them? LOL

I didn't think of this! That makes PERFECT sense, Coop. Because I have a few friends who are animal lovers but have no where near the knowledge/experience I have. Thanks

Yep, I agree and I think another thing to consider is the fact that you stated that the animals 'come' to you. That is a huge factor in my opinion and I'll bet you also don't try to touch their faces at first.
I never try to touch any animal without it's permission first and I never touch those personal places either at first like the face or lower belly.
I will be willing to bet that anyone meeting a stranger for the first time would back off if that stranger started to reach forward towards the face or the lower body. But that same stranger could, smile, shake your hand or touch your shoulder or lower arm without you drawing backwards. Animals are the same way.
I don't allow anyone when meeting myself, my kid or my animals whether it be the horses, dogs or even a duck by trying to touch those 'off limit' places.
I believe this to be very true for youngsters, 30 yrs ago people thought I was nuts for not allowing them to touch my foals faces when meeting them for the first time. Funny thing is I never had one horse or foal ever avoid having their faces touched in the future..........

Yes - I agree with Coop & Lynn.

I also think that some people are just animal magnets, and they're really born with it. I know someone like that, and animals just orient themselves around her, like she's the sun and they are planets.... it's like magic. It's not that she's a particularly good trainer or loves them more than other animal lovers do, but there's just something different about her that animals respond to and feel very at ease with.

I think it is about the attitude. Most of the animal lovers are happy individuals, especially around animals and the dogs will feel that energy you give when you meet with them. Some people have more energy some less and the dogs will read this. They are perfect body language readers so your body will give clues about your “actual†feeling which the dog will capture and respond very rapidly. It can even be just an open mouth in your presence showing he/she is happy that you are there.

You know, I think dogs know "dog lovers" because dog people are conscious of their behavior around dogs.

I know a lot of people who LOVE dogs but don't know dog behavior from a hole in the ground. My dogs don't particularly care for them. But people who understand dogs? They're all over them. Especially Zaphod.

Attitude and your own personal body language has a lot to do with it. This really struck home with me recently; usually I'm "that person" who all the animals come up to. I was shadowing my upline when I first got started in PP and was standing in this lady's kitchen feeling incredibly uptight and nervous since I didn't know what to do with myself. The lady had a chocolate lab that wouldn't get within 10 feet of me because of the vibes I was putting out.

I think so. I know people with some pretty spastic and mildly aggressive dogs, but they will *always* come over to me and lay in my lap and just relax.

On the flip side, my sister really disliked Molly when we first got her, and Molly would sometimes pee in my sister's bed; the ONLY times she has ever peed in the house.

I would believe it based on Maggie's recent trip to Petsmart. She actually went up to a lady that worked there and sniffed her... and that's saying quite a bit for Maggie!

It's so crazy what dogs can sense. I had heard of it before but never experienced it before Maggie. She knows when I'm upset, even when I try to hide it. She's such a sweet comforting dog too. If she weren't so shy she would be a wonderful therapy doggy.

Bandit will leap away from you like he is going to contract a fatal discease if you don't hold yourself right. It's pretty funny. He has no interest in being petted by someone who isn't dog savy. He doesn't stalk around like MR Aggressive Pants but he might as well have "$#@# off" shaved onto him. Only when he's off lead though. He thinks it's rather rude for people to pet him without asking his mommy first.

My dog certainly senses when someone is a dog lover. She is little timid with new people, but warms up to some people much faster.

Definitely, I agree with Coop and others.
Like today at the humane society, there were a few dogs that didn’t react well to people coming up to their kennels, but I was able to take them for walks and even had them sitting in my lap by the end of my time with them.