Chasing Tails Dog Training

🐾 Saturday Recap 🐾

Over the last two weeks, we've talked about:

👀 Eyes
👄 Mouths & lips
👂 Ears
🐕 Tails

And this week we introduced M.E.E.T.:

👄 Mouth
👀 Eyes
👂 Ears
🐕 Tail

But here's the most important thing to remember:

Dogs don't always read like a simple checklist.

Sometimes you'll see mixed signals.

A dog might have:

Soft eyes
A loose body
A low tail
A quick wag

Or:

Forward ears
An open mouth
A stiff posture

One signal by itself rarely tells the whole story.

That's where context comes in.

Ask yourself:

❓ Where is my dog right now?

❓ What is happening around them?

❓ Are they near something they normally love?

❓ Are they near something they normally find difficult?

❓ How has their body language changed since they entered the situation?

Instead of asking:

"What does that tail mean?"

Try asking:

"What is my dog telling me with their whole body in this moment?"

The more time you spend observing your dog, the more you'll start to recognize their unique language.

Because understanding body language isn't about memorizing every signal.

❤️🐾 It's about learning to listen.

🐾 Fun Fact Friday 🐾

Did you know two dogs can have the exact same body part position—but be feeling very different emotions?

For example:

👂 Forward ears can mean:
• Curiosity
• Excitement
• Concern
• Intense focus

🐕 A wagging tail can mean:
• Happiness
• Excitement
• Uncertainty
• Arousal

👄 An open mouth can mean:
• Relaxation
• Excitement
• Stress
• Cooling off

That's why we don't want to focus on just one signal.

Instead, we M.E.E.T. the whole dog:

👄 Mouth
👀 Eyes
👂 Ears
🐕 Tail

Then we look at the overall body posture and the situation around them.

Dog body language isn't about finding one "correct" signal.

It's about putting all the puzzle pieces together.

❤️🐾

🐾 Student Spotlight: Pogue 🐾

Pogue has BIG feelings.

About people.

About dogs.

About the world around him.

When we first started working together, Pogue often felt like he needed to handle things himself. If something made him uncomfortable, his answer was usually:

"I'll take care of it."

But over time, he's been learning something important:

🐾 Not every person is scary.
🐾 Not every dog wants to hurt him.
🐾 He doesn't have to make every decision on his own.

Most importantly, he's learning that having big feelings is okay.

The goal isn't to eliminate emotions.

The goal is to learn how to work through them.

Pogue still has moments where he worries.

He still has moments where he feels overwhelmed.

But now we're seeing more check-ins, more thoughtful choices, and more trust than ever before.

Progress isn't about becoming a different dog.

It's about becoming the best version of yourself.

And Pogue is working incredibly hard to do exactly that. ❤️🐾

🐾 Midweek Reminder 🐾

How is M.E.E.T. week going?

One of the biggest mistakes we make when reading dogs is assuming they're feeling the same thing all the time.

But body language is constantly changing.

A dog might be:

👀 Curious one moment
👂 Listening the next
👄 Relaxed a few seconds later
🐕 Excited when something interesting appears

That's why we don't want to focus on just one body part—or even one snapshot in time.

Instead, try checking in with your dog throughout the day.

How does their body change when:
🚪 Someone comes to the door?
🦴 They find a favorite toy?
🐕 They see another dog?
🍪 They hear the treat container open?

The goal isn't to label every expression.

The goal is to become more observant.

The more we pay attention, the easier it becomes to understand what our dogs may be trying to tell us. ❤️🐾

🐾 Enrichment Tuesday 🐾

This week's game combines TWO useful skills into one fun activity!

🍪 Leave It + Go Find 🍪

1️⃣ Place a small pile of treats in front of you.

2️⃣ Ask your dog to "Leave It."

3️⃣ When they're successful, take ONE treat from the pile and toss it away from you.

4️⃣ Cheerfully say "Go Find!"

5️⃣ Repeat!

Not only does this help practice impulse control, but it also teaches your dog that ignoring something doesn't mean they lose access to rewards.

In fact, good things happen when they make thoughtful choices.

💡 Bonus Challenge:

Since we're talking about M.E.E.T. this week, watch your dog's body language throughout the game.

👄 What happens to their mouth when they see the treat pile? What happens when they engage in chasing the treat?

👀 What do their eyes do?

👂 Do their ears change position?

🐕 What does their tail do?

You might be surprised how much information you can gather from a simple game!

❤️🐾

🐾 Monday Intention 🐾

This week, instead of focusing on just one part of your dog's body language, try to M.E.E.T. your dog.

👄 Mouth
👀 Eyes
👂 Ears
🐕 Tail

When your dog notices something interesting, exciting, or even a little concerning, pause for a moment and look at all four.

Are their eyes soft or focused?

Are their ears relaxed, forward, or listening behind them?

Is their mouth open and loose, or closed and tense?

What is their tail doing?

Then take one more step back and look at the whole dog.

Are they loose and wiggly?

Still and focused?

Bouncy and excited?

This week's goal isn't to memorize every signal.

It's simply to notice.

The more we observe, the easier it becomes to understand what our dogs may be trying to tell us. ❤️🐾

🐾 Let's Chat! 🐾

When you look at your dog, what do you notice first?

Their tail?
Their ears?
Their eyes?

Most people focus on one body part, but dogs communicate with their entire body.

This week, I'd like to introduce an easy way to remember the pieces we look at when reading dog body language:

🐾 M.E.E.T. 🐾

👄 Mouth
👀 Eyes
👂 Ears
🐕 Tail
Or are you already looking at the whole dog?

Each piece gives us information, but no single body part tells the whole story.

A wagging tail doesn't always mean a dog is happy.

Forward ears don't always mean a dog is confident.

An open mouth doesn't always mean a dog is relaxed.

The magic happens when we put all the pieces together and look at the whole dog.

Throughout this week, we'll talk about how M.E.E.T. helps us better understand what our dogs may be trying to tell us.

💬 What part of your dog's body language do you notice first: their Mouth, Eyes, Ears, or Tail?