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Diggy & Bean | Focus on Diggy | Part 2/3 Observation & Interpretation
???? In the first video, we took a look at both Diggy & Bean and looked at body language signals in slow motion.
@pawsup @lisad and @jenwalker jumped in and noted some very important messages both dogs are sending.
????Now, let’s focus in on Diggy. Sometimes those “floofy” dogs can be hard to read. So, we’ve slowed down the video and added labeling to help train your eyes. ????
After you’ve ad a look at these signals, (And feel free to add any we may have missed!) Begin interpreting JUST DIGGY – what do you think he’s saying to Bean? What do you think he wants out of an interaction with Bean? ????
Support your interpretation with your observations; Let’s talk about what we see.
In Part 3, we’ll repeat this process with Bean; right now, let’s focus on Diggy, the big black and white dog.
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5 Replies
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In my opinion, Diggy is interested in gaining access to the space in some capacity. He starts off seemingly politely with the looking at, looking away, lowering his head, sniffing, then sitting, looking away. He attempts to move closer avoiding eye contact, lowering head and possibly sniffing. Once Bean air snaps, the politeness seemingly changes to a confident approach to possible defend his intentions. He stands tall, tail appears to be flagging and stiff, direct stare until Bean looks away. Diggy then makes another attempt to move closer, ignoring Beans communication. He tries another attempt to entice Bean with backing up, standing perpendicular to Bean with a direct stare. When Bean does not engage with him (avoids conflict) Diggy seemingly decides to retreat and give up whatever his intentions were by moving away.
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Well narrated @jenz – by opening with “In my opinion” you really set the tone for your insightful thoughts while making it clear both with
interested in gaining access to the space in some capacity”
and
give up whatever his intentions were by moving away”
that you are framing informed guesswork around the snippet of interaction we have to work with!
I missed the height, sickle-shape, and stiffness in the tail; I think I was confuzzled by the Floof…
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@jenwalker Thank you for your thoughts!
It is hard to always know intention. Even if we do think we know, intentions and behaviors can change in a split second!
I am curious as to what others see and how they interpret this interaction .
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This quote-able quote, right here:
It is hard to always know intention. Even if we do think we know, intentions and behaviors can change in a split second! – Jen Z.
Is the key to remaining open during interpretation. Just because we see what we think we see doesn’t mean that it means what we think it means. haha!
The BEST interpretation is the information the OTHER DOG can give us, right? How is what Diggy is doing impacting how Bean feels? We’ll be looking at that next….
Meanwhile, I love the conversation around floofy dogs and the difficulty reading them. I think hair, dropped ears, variations of facial construction, size and tail shape (or lack of tails) really impacts how other dogs perceive the dog in front of them. This is where having our dogs experience – or at least see – other dogs during early puppyhood can be a real benefit. There are a lot of dogs out there who don’t look like the pup’s mama and sibs!
Back to Diggy – in general, when I first saw this clip, I thought: Young goofy dog… rather clueless how to approach a senior respectfully. But then, drilling into some of the second-by-second signals… I started coming up with some other ideas about him… His freezes gave me pause… and I was really glad to see him curve and give space. What do you guys think?
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When I’m looking at body language and moving toward interpretation, my first stop is always, “How does the other dog feel about all this?” So, perhaps we should have started with looking closely at Bean! That said, I love looking at this curious and friendly floofy boy Diggy. He seems like a young dog, so interested in making a social connection with the little red Bean. He is sniffing around, wondering what this is all about, this little soft bed and little canine… His body language is loose and wiggly except for when Bean snaps at him. Then Diggy freezes in place, tail high. This signals that he’s confident in his own skin and willing to hold his own space. But then, he yields. After some curious glances at Bean, Diggy turns to the side and gives him space.
I like to ask myself, “What did NOT happen, here”? And that also informs my interpretation of (and appreciation for) Diggy. He did not escalate. He did not communicate any “sass” back to his elder. He thought about his choices, and left. Just lovely.
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