When your dog is off leash and won’t come back to you, your natural inclination may be to yell or show exasperation in some other way. It’s understandable. Dogs are faster than we are, and it induces anxiety when they’re in a situation that we can’t control physically. But doing a quick self-check and taking the lead by acting calmly will always serve your pet — and you — better. He’s more likely to return to you if he sees you’re not angry. He’ll be more likely to comply in general if you don’t make a bad situation worse by exhibiting displeasure that will only leave him anxious or confused. But were you aware that not losing it with a hand-wringing response will also serve your dog when he is in pain?
“Dogs feed off their peoples’ emotions,” says veterinary pain specialist Alicia Karas, DVM. Thus, if you are not relaxed, your dog cannot relax, either. That causes his body to tense up and will ratchet up any pain he is feeling.
“I see this all the time,” Dr. Karas comments. “Someone brings in her dog, terribly anxious over the dog’s pain, and the dog, reflecting his person’s mood, is a wreck. But when I talk to the person, tell her there are things we can do for her pet, her breathing becomes more regular and her posture relaxes, and her dog begins to relax, too.”
This doesn’t mean you should keep from letting your dog know you care. It’s good if your pet is aware that you are concerned for him, and it’s good if you express that concern with tender loving care. But, just as for a child, communicating to a dog just how beside yourself you are about his condition can only make matters worse.
